Bellco Accused Of Discrimination Against Women On Maternity Leave

DENVER (CBS4) - Bellco Credit Union is accused of discriminating against women on maternity leave.

The Denver Metro Fair Housing Center (DMFHC) says the company refused to consider mortgage loan applications from women on maternity leave. That would violate the Federal Fair Housing Act.

"The complaint alleges that Bellco Credit Union loan officers repeatedly refused to consider home mortgage loan applications from would-be borrowers on maternity leave, without consideration of whether the would-be borrowers were earning income during their leave or had sufficient liquid savings to compensate for any income lost during leave periods," Arturo Alvarado, Executive Director for DMFHC said in a statement.

Statement From Bellco Credit Union To CBS4

"For more than 80 years, Bellco has served as a trusted partner to our members in this community. Bellco has never knowingly engaged in any discriminatory lending practices of any kind. In particular, Bellco's policies forbid any kind of discrimination based on the sex or familial status of applicants, including pregnancy and maternity leave. Our attorneys are investigating the specific allegations in the complaint and will respond to them in court. But we are confident that the lawsuit has no merit."

Additional Information From DMFHC

If you believe you have encountered housing discrimination, please contact the Denver Metro Fair Housing Center at 720-279-4291, info@dmfhc.org. The Denver Metro Fair Housing Center is located at 3280 Downing Street, Suite B; Denver, Colorado 80205.