In April 2019, the plaintiff applied to work for Whole Foods' Manhattan-area delivery service. As part of their hiring procedure, Whole Foods, which is owned by Amazon, conducted a background check. Upon learning about plaintiff's criminal history, Whole Foods denied plaintiff a job, despite there ...
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In April 2019, the plaintiff applied to work for Whole Foods' Manhattan-area delivery service. As part of their hiring procedure, Whole Foods, which is owned by Amazon, conducted a background check. Upon learning about plaintiff's criminal history, Whole Foods denied plaintiff a job, despite there being no other issues with plaintiff's application.
On June 6, 2020, the plaintiff brought a class action suit against Whole Foods and Amazon. Represented by private counsel, the plaintiff brought suit under three state human rights laws that restrict employers' ability to deny employment on the basis of applicants' criminal histories. The plaintiff sought statutory damages, exemplary and punitive damages, injunctive and/or declaratory relief, pre-judgment and post-judgment interest, and reasonable attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses.
In response to defendant Whole Food's September 4 motion to dismiss, the plaintiff has until September 25, 2020 to file an amended complaint. The case is ongoing.
Sara Denbo - 09/18/2020
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