After protracted litigation, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has agreed to settle an employment discrimination class lawsuit for $6 million, including $1.5 million in attorneys’ fees. The lawsuit began ten years ago, when minority employees accused the CFPB of systemic discrimination, including persistent pay discrimination compounded by a discriminatory performance review system. In light of this lawsuit, it is ironic that the CFPB’s Office of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI) has the authority to require the fair inclusion of minorities and women in the workforces of the agency’s contractors and subcontractors as well as to develop standards for evaluating the diversity policies and practices of the entities regulated by the CFPB. Many members of the Center for Workplace Compliance (CWC), our affiliated nonprofit membership association, are subject to the authority of the CFPB.
CWC members can read more here.