Washington State Company Pays $12,000 to Settle Workplace Discrimination A suburban Seattle food service contractor has agreed to pay more than $12,000 to settle allegations of workplace discrimination, under an agreement reached today with the Justice Department. The agreement resolves a complaint filed by Un Kyong Roberson, a native of South Korea and a legal permanent resident of the United States, with the Justice Department's Office of Special Counsel for Immigration Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC). In her complaint, Roberson alleges that in February 1999, D.E.W. Management Services, Inc. based in Arlington, Washington, retaliated against her when she insisted her Resident Alien Card was valid. D.E.W. had originally challenged the validity of the card because it did not have an expiration date. Ms. Roberson brought in documentation from the Immigration and Naturalization Service's website that showed her card was valid. Shortly thereafter, she was informed that she would not be hired by the company. Since 1986, when it became illegal to knowingly hire undocumented workers, employers have been required to check the employment eligibility of all new hires--citizens and non-citizens alike. However, in an effort to comply with this requirement, some employers go beyond what is required and single out individuals because of their accent, appearance, name or citizenship status. OSC was established to ensure that all work-authorized individuals--U.S. citizens and non-citizens alike--are not subject to discrimination in the hiring process because of their national origin, citizenship status or because they are thought to look or sound foreign.

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