WASHINGTON, DC (April 17, 2018) — National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions (NAFCU) President and CEO Dan Berger issued the following statement in response to another win for credit unions facing litigation over unclear website requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). For the second time, a federal district court in Virginia dismissed a lawsuit against Northwest Federal Credit Union.
“NAFCU is pleased to see this court continue to recognize that this plaintiff has no standing to sue Northwest Federal Credit Union, similar to the numerous other cases we’ve seen dismissed in recent months,” said Berger. “NAFCU will continue to defend our members against these meritless lawsuits.”
This was an amended complaint; the court dismissed the case in January as it determined that the plaintiff to such a lawsuit did not have standing to Northwest FCU because he was not eligible for membership and would likely not use the credit union’s services.
NAFCU filed two amicus briefs in support of Northwest’s motion to dismiss, for both the original and amended complaint. The court determined that the plaintiff still lacked standing to bring the lawsuit and the amended complaint did not address issues within the original one.
Credit unions, banks and other entities have faced a rash of lawsuits in the past year related to website accessibility. NAFCU and its members strongly support the protections of the ADA and efforts to ensure individuals with disabilities are not discriminated against and have equal access to financial services. However, this is best achieved through clear guidance and standards for website compliance, not through meritless and costly lawsuits.
NAFCU has been active on ADA, engaging with various stakeholders on this issue, including with Congress, states’ attorneys general and the Justice Department to clarify regulatory standards for websites.
The National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions is the only national trade association focusing exclusively on federal issues affecting the nation’s federally-insured credit unions. NAFCU membership is direct and provides credit unions with the best in federal advocacy, education and compliance assistance. For more information on NAFCU, go to www.nafcu.org or @NAFCU on Twitter.
