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On July 28, 2020, the CFPB issued a request for information (“RFI”) seeking public input on how best to create a regulatory environment that expands access to credit and ensures consumers and communities are protected from discrimination in all aspects of credit transactions. The Bureau issued the RFI in lieu of a symposium it had…

On July 15, 2020, the CPFB filed a complaint in federal court against Townstone Financial, Inc. (Townstone) representing the first ever redlining complaint against a non-bank mortgage lender. The complaint is brought under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) and Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA), but not the Fair Housing Act (FHA). (The U.S. Department…

The Department of Justice recently announced that it had settled a lawsuit filed in 2019 that alleged a Maryland used car dealership discriminated against African Americans in violation of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act by offering different credit terms based on race.  The settlement includes the DOJ’s claims against the dealership’s individual owner and its…

A federal District Court judge in Nevada has dismissed a case filed by several trade associations against the Commissioner of the Financial Institutions Division (“FID”) of the Nevada Department of Business and Industry and the Nevada Attorney General. The case was brought in response to a 2019 amendment (SB 311) that changed Nevada law to…

Earlier this week, in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that firing an employee for being homosexual or transgender constitutes discrimination based on the employee’s sex in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.  The decision is likely to be relied on by regulators and private plaintiffs alleging…

On May 6, 2020, the CFPB issued an ECOA/Regulation B “Compliance Aid” containing three FAQs that clarify certain issues related to notification of action taken on Small Business Administration (“SBA”) Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan applications.  We understand that the Bureau provided the guidance in response to inquiries from banking trade associations on behalf of…

The three trade groups challenging an amendment to Nevada law that allows an applicant for credit with no credit history to request that the creditor deem the applicant’s credit history to be identical to that of the applicant’s spouse during the marriage have responded to the motion to dismiss their lawsuit filed by the Commissioner…

On October 29, 2019, the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing to explore the issue of lending and housing discrimination against members of the LGBTQ+ community. A recording of the hearing is available here.

Six witnesses offered testimony and responded to questions posed by subcommittee members:

  • Harper Jean Tobin,

…

A purported class action filed last week in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, accuses Facebook of discriminating against women and individuals over 40 who were denied advertisements and information about certain financial services opportunities, including those for bank accounts, insurance, and investing.

According to the complaint, Facebook encourages financial…