David Rowland Quoted in Law360
“Sweeping NYC Credit Check Ban Bill Worries Defense Bar”

Seyfarth Shaw Labor & Employment partner David Rowland is quoted in an April 12 Law360 article discussing a much debated New York City bill that would prohibit employers from using credit checks in vetting job applicants during the hiring process, even in cases in which positions require managerial or fiduciary duties. David commented on a recent decision in which a case was dismissed, rejecting data from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that supported the notion that background checks were discriminatory.

He said, "In Kaplan — and more broadly — there's no evidence of disparate impact if you look at the data in a scientific way," he said. "There's not much science supporting the concept that disparate impact arises out of employer credit checks."

He said of the proposed bill, "It's fair to say that it ignores some of the realities of running a business," Rowland said of the New York City proposal. "The idea that you can't at least check to understand whether an employee faces economic pressure is just not sensible."