In a scathing opinion issued in the EEOC v. Freeman case, Judge Titus of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland dismissed a nationwide pattern or practice lawsuit brought by the EEOC that alleged that Freeman, Inc., a service provider for corporate events, unlawfully relied upon credit and criminal background checks that caused a disparate impact against African-American, Hispanic, and male job applicants. This decision marks yet another blow to the EEOC’s use of systemic lawsuits to challenge employers’ reliance on background checks in making hiring decisions. Judge Titus noted: “Because of the higher rate of incarceration of African-Americans than Caucasians, indiscriminate use of criminal history information might have the predictable result of excluding African-Americans at a higher rate than Caucasian. Indeed, the higher rate might cause one to fear that any use of criminal history information would be in violation of Title VII. However, this is simply not the case.” The defeat of the EEOC’s case is significant. Judge Titus’ decision is yet another favorable opinion for employers who fall victim to the EEOC’s “do as I say, not as I do” litigation tactics, especially in pattern or practice cases that rely heavily on the use of statistical analysis.
