DOJ Settles More Cases over Discriminatory Job Postings
The Department of Justice (DOJ) secured ten additional settlements over discrimination in job postings. This latest round of settlements involves companies that allegedly used a college recruitment platform to post job ads that deliberately excluded non-U.S. citizens from job opportunities.
The ten settlements announced are in addition to 20 other settlements over similar claims that were resolved in 2022.
“The Justice Department has now held 30 companies accountable for using a college recruitment platform to post discriminatory job advertisements that locked non-U.S. citizen students out of job opportunities,” stated Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division. “These settlements should make clear our commitment to enforcing civil rights laws to ensure that all applicants have a fair and equal chance to compete for jobs.”
DOJ started investigating after a Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) student who was a lawful permanent resident, filed a discrimination complaint, alleging that a bank’s posting for an internship on a Georgia Tech job recruitment site was restricted to U.S. citizens only.
The investigation discovered other discriminatory advertisements on the Georgia Tech job recruitment platform, as well as on job platforms at other colleges.
In the settlement, DOJ found that each of the companies settling posted at least one job announcement on the platform excluding non-U.S. citizens.
Tech Recruiting Settlement
DOJ also secured a settlement with Infosoft Solutions, a New Jersey IT recruiting and contracting company operating as KForce Tech LLC.
DOJ determined that Infosoft violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by posting six discriminatory job advertisements. In this case, the ads only solicited applications from non-U.S. citizens who needed visa sponsorship. In one case, the job specifically sought applicants only from India.
Infosoft has agreed to $25,500 in civil penalties and has agreed to train recruiters on INA requirements.
“The Civil Rights Division will not tolerate national origin or citizenship status discrimination and is committed to knocking down these unlawful discriminatory barriers,” said Assistant Attorney General Clarke.