Men Suing Uber, Lyft Over Women's Safety Feature Bet on Novel Claim
Lawsuits accusing Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. of discriminating against male drivers through app features aimed at keeping women safe present a unique gig economy test for California’s broad public accommodations law.
Two proposed class actions under California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act are challenging the companies’ matching programs allowing women passengers to request women drivers.
They claim these programs limit the male drivers’ income and job opportunities, as well as reinforce gender stereotypes that men are dangerous. The lawsuits seek $4,000 for each male driver, whose numbers could reach into the hundreds of thousands.
“It’s a novel program that’s really going to test the scope of the act,” said Joseph McNally, who litigates cases at the intersection of technology, privacy, and public accountability at McNicholas & McNicholas LLP. “Judges are humans, and when looking at a program involving safety, they’re going to want to make sure that they kick the tires on it before they conclude that it runs afoul of the law.”
The cases come as the ride-share giants continue to defend against litigation filed by women alleging they were sexually assaulted by male drivers. A trial on that issue—only the second case against Uber to reach a jury—is currently proceeding in an Arizona federal court, with a verdict expected in coming weeks.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/men-suing-uber-lyft-over-womens-safety-feature-bet-on-novel-claim