Claim $2,000 D.C. Metro Transit Employee Racial Discrimination Class Action Settlement

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Who is a Class Member

Class members of the D.C. Metro Transit Employee Racial Discrimination Class Action Settlement include “all African-American persons who, since February 23, 2012, have been terminated or otherwise permanently separated from their positions, suspended with or without pay, and/or denied employment with WMATA or any third party contractor or subcontractor of WMATA as a result of the Background Screening Policy and who claim to have suffered any loss of earnings or damages as a result.”

If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other class action settlements you may be eligible for.

Settlement Amount

  • $6,500,000.00

Estimated Award

  • $2,000.00

Individuals who submit a short form claim will be eligible to receive a payment of $2,000. Individuals who submit a long form claim with supporting documentation showing proof of lost wages in excess of $2,000 could receive a larger settlement payout as outlined in the FAQs.

Proof of Purchase

  • If you submit a short form claim, you will need to confirm that
    • (1) you are African American
    • (2) you failed the Background Screening Policy, and
    • (3) after failing you were denied employment, terminated, or suspended by WMATA or a WMATA contractor
  • If you submit a long form claim, you will need to confirm that:
    • (1) you are African American
    • (2) you failed the Background Screening Policy, and
    • (3) after failing you were denied employment, terminated, or suspended by WMATA or a WMATA contractor
    • (4) You will also need to provide documentation relevant to your claim, including information about the timing and circumstances when you were denied employment, terminated, or suspended by WMATA or a WMATA contractor, the position at issue, and approximate salary, as well as any evidence of amounts earned in the interim, which will be supported by tax forms, W-2 statements, or sworn declarations.

Claim Forms

You have the option of submitting a short form claim or a long form claim. Eligible Class Members who submit short form claims will be entitled to receive a flat payment estimated to be $2,000. Eligible Class members who believe they suffered more than $2,000 in lost wages may, if they wish, submit a long form claim, providing additional documentation to support a payment greater than $2,000.

You cannot submit both a long form claim and a short form claim, or receive both a long form claim payment and a short form claim payment.

D.C. Metro Transit Employee Racial Discrimination Settlement Notes

  • Erick Little, et al. v. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, et al.
  • Case No. 1:14-CV-01289-RMC
  • Pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

The class action lawsuit stems from Washington D.C. Metropolitan Transit Authority’s 2011 adoption of a criminal background screening policy which, according to the plaintiffs in the case, violates the Civil Rights Act. Specifically, the plaintiffs claim that the background screening policy “adversely and disproportionately impacted African Americans who applied for employment with WMATA or WMATA contractors or were suspended or terminated as a result of the new background screening.

WMATA denies these allegations and maintains its background screening policy was adopted for non-discriminatory reasons and does not adversely impact African-Americans. Complete details about the case and settlement are provided on the D.C. Metro Transit Employee Racial Discrimination Settlement website.

Class members who wish to opt-out or object to the terms of the D.C. Metro Transit Employee Racial Discrimination Settlement must do so by March 19, 2018. Class members who wish to participate in the settlement must submit their claim form on or before March 8, 2018.

Important Dates

  • 3/8/18: Claim Form Deadline
  • 3/19/18: Objection or Opt-Out Deadline
  • 4/23/18: Final Hearing at 9:30 am ET* (class members do not need to attend this hearing in order to receive a slice of the settlement pie).

Settlement Class Members who wish to speak at the hearing should check www.wmataclassaction.com to confirm that the date or time of the Hearing has not been changed.

Contact Information

  • Mail: Settlement Services, Inc., P.O. Box 10643, Tallahassee FL, 32302-2643

Class Counsel

Settlement Website

1 thought on “Claim $2,000 D.C. Metro Transit Employee Racial Discrimination Class Action Settlement”

  1. I would like to know when can we expect to see some money I also would like to know if there’s a problem with the long form can we expect the short form payment

    Reply

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