SEPTA Background Checks Violate Federal and State Laws

We are bringing this class action suit on behalf of Frank Long, a 55-year-old resident of Philadelphia and a commercially licensed bus driver. SEPTA offered him a job in October 2014 as a bus operator, but then rescinded the offer because of a drug-related conviction on Mr. Long’s record from 1997. SEPTA did so in spite of the fact that Mr. Long has stayed on the right side of the law ever since his conviction nearly 20 years ago.

The lawsuit alleges SEPTA fails to comply with the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) in its procurement of consumer reports for employment purposes. According to the complaint, SEPTA fails to provide job applicants with a required “clear and conspicuous” written disclosure that it may obtain a consumer report for employment purposes. SEPTA also is accused of routinely violating Pennsylvania’s Criminal History Record Information Act (CHRIA) through its policy and practice of disqualifying job applicants with unrelated felony convictions from employment in positions involving the operation of SEPTA vehicles.