A US technology company has agreed to a settlement with the federal government, alleging that an India-based recruitment agency was responsible for posting job ads that stated only US-born “white” people were eligible to apply.
Arthur Grand, an information technology services company that specializes in government contracting, has agreed to pay a $7,500 civil penalty and reform its hiring practices after it was found to have posted discriminatory job ads, the Justice Department said in a statement Thursday.
According to the department, the March 2023 recruitment advertisement stated that “only U.S.-born citizens are eligible to apply.” [white] Anyone living within 60 miles of Dallas, Texas [Don’t share with candidates]”
“It is shameful that, in the 21st century, employers continue to use ‘whites only’ or ‘born in the U.S.’ job ads to exclude otherwise qualified job applicants of color,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a statement. “I share the public’s outrage at Arthur Grand’s egregiously discriminatory actions to bar job applicants based on their citizenship status, national origin, color, and race.”
Arthur Grand did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In its settlement, the company said the job ads were created by “disgruntled” Indian recruiters who were trying to embarrass the company. It denied authorizing the ads or intending to discourage non-U.S. citizens from applying.
Arthur Grand entered into a separate agreement with the Ministry of Labor.
The investigation was handled by the Department of Justice’s Immigrant and Worker Rights Division.
