U. S. Census Bureau Sued for Hiring Discrimination : Class Action complaint filed April 13, 2010

Discrimination on the basis of race can take many forms. In this case, the first of its kind to be filed against a federal agency, people of color who applied for jobs with the 2010 U. S. Census claimed the Census screened out applicants when their names showed up in an FBI database, indicating a match with an arrest record. These denied applicants were given 30 days to produce official documentation to refute the disqualification, but the process was onerous and in many cases impossible.

Further, because the arrest and conviction rates of African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans far exceed those of whites nationwide, the rejected applicants claim that the policy unlawfully discriminates on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, and national origin.

More information about the lawsuit is available at www.censusdiscriminationlawsuit.com.