Arthur Grand, an American information technology services firm specializing in government contracts, has come under scrutiny after posting a discriminatory job advertisement.
The job listing, which specified that only "white" U.S.-born citizens within 60 miles of Dallas, Texas, should apply, has resulted in a federal investigation and subsequent penalties for the company.
Arthur Grand Technologies, an American IT company, faces federal penalties after a discriminatory job posting specifying "whites only" applicants within 60 miles of Dallas, blaming a recruiter in India for the incident.
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
Tech Company Blames Recruiter Over Discriminatory Job Posting
The problematic job posting appeared in March 2023 and was quickly flagged for its explicit exclusion of candidates based on race, citizenship status, and national origin.
According to the Justice Department, the job ad restricted eligible candidates to "only US Born Citizens [white] who are local within 60 miles from Dallas, TX [Don't share with candidates]."
In response to the backlash, Arthur Grand Technologies claimed that the discriminatory job ad was the work of a "disgruntled" recruiter based in India who allegedly created the post to embarrass the company, NBC News reports. The firm denied authorizing the posting or intending to dissuade non-U.S. citizens from applying.
In the DOJ press release, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke from the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division strongly criticized the job posting, expressing dismay at the persistence of 'whites only' and 'only US born' advertisements in the 21st century.
Clarke also voiced solidarity with public outrage over Arthur Grand's discriminatory hiring practices based on citizenship, national origin, color, and race.
"The Justice Department, working with other government agencies, will continue to hold employers accountable when they violate our nation's federal civil rights laws," Clarke added.
Following an investigation by the Justice Department's Immigrant and Employee Rights Division, Arthur Grand agreed to a settlement that includes a civil penalty of $7,500 and a commitment to reform its hiring practices.
The company also signed a separate agreement with the Department of Labor to address the violation of Executive Order 11246, which prohibits discrimination in employment for federal contractors.
The Justice Department's investigation revealed that the discriminatory job ad not only violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) but also harmed individuals with the legal right to work in the United States by excluding them based on citizenship status and national origin.
This case stresses the ongoing challenges of addressing and preventing workplace discrimination. According to recent statistics, 61% of employees in the United States have experienced or witnessed workplace discrimination.
Age discrimination, in particular, is prevalent, with 45% of American workers reporting such experiences, while 42% have faced sex or race discrimination in the workplace.
