Virginia-based tech firm to pay fine for publishing discriminatory "Whites only" job advertisement, revealed DOJ.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) found that in March 2023, Arthur Grand Technologies Inc., an IT firm from Ashburn, Virginia, published a job notice for a business analyst post. This was made public on a hiring platform and contained the discriminatory statement: "Only US-born citizens [white] who are local within 60 miles from Dallas, TX [Don't share with candidates]."
Both the DOJ and the Labor Department investigated the matter. The Labor Department's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) initiated their investigation in April 2023, while the DOJ's Civil Rights Division's Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) started theirs in May 2023.
Sheik Rahmathullah, CEO of Arthur Grand Technologies, denied any guilt or wrongdoing in a statement to CNN. Despite this, the company terminated the responsible employee upon discovering the posting was made by an employee on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) from their personal email address and account.
On Thursday, the Justice Department reached separate agreements with both the DOJ and Labor Department. The DOJ's agreement resolved the agency's conclusion that Arthur Grand breached the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) with the discriminatory job ad. Assistant Attorney General of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division, Kristin Clarke, stated, "It's regrettable that in the 21st century, employers are still using 'Whites only' and 'only US born' job postings to exclude employed candidates of color." Clarke added, "The Justice Department, in conjunction with other government agencies, will continue to hold employers responsible for violating our nation’s federal civil rights laws."
The DOJ's press release highlighted that Arthur Grand will have to train its staff on the INA's regulations, rewrite their employment policies, and submit to direct DOJ monitoring.
Michele Hodge, the acting director of the Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), underlined, "Companies such as Arthur Grand, that undertake federal contracts, cannot follow a 'Whites only' hiring process."
As part of the Labor Department's conciliation agreement, signed by Sheik Rahmathullah, the company will also compensate individuals who had filed complaints with the OFCCP.
Arthur Grand Technologies' CEO, Rahmathullah, expressed remorse for the incident, promising to implement changes to win back the love and support of their community and stakeholders. He also insisted, "Arthur Grand Technologies is joyfully a minority-owned company," and "[These agreements] should not be misconstrued as an admission of guilt or wrongdoing by Arthur Grand Technologies."
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- Following the investigation, Sheik Rahmathullah, CEO of Arthur Grand Technologies, acknowledged the mistake made by one of their employees and assured the US community that the company will take steps to prevent such incidents in the future.
- As a part of the agreements reached with both the DOJ and Labor Department, Arthur Grand Technologies will not only undergo training and policy revisions but also compensate affected individuals within the US.
Source: edition.cnn.com