Bank of America Accused of Race Bias in Worker Background Checks

Bank of America Corp.'s new employee background check policy disproportionately affects black job seekers because it imports racial disparities in the criminal justice system into the bank’s hiring process, a proposed class lawsuit in Delaware federal court charges.

Willie Gilder says he was a victim of the policy’s disparate consequences for black workers when his offer of employment as a collections and recovery specialist was withdrawn based on mistaken information Bank of America received regarding Gilder’s prior arrest for alleged cocaine dealing.

The bank believed he was convicted on that charge, Gilder says. But the records Bank of America received ...