Whites-Only Job Listing Leads To Penalty Against Ashburn-Based Tech Company

ASHBURN, VA — An Ashburn-based an information technology services company made a settlement and will pay a fine due to a job listing seeking white-only and U.S. born-only applicants, according to the Justice Department and the Department of Labor.

The DOJ Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section started investigating the claim against Ashburn-based IT company Arthur Grand in spring 2023. A recruiter working for Arthur Grand's subsidiary in India reported the job listing that was posted on Indeed.

According to federal authorities, the job listing for a business analyst position in Dallas read, "Only Born US Citizens [White] who are local within 60 miles from Dallas, TX [Don’t share with candidates]." The job listing said the position would serve two clients, information technology company HTC Global and holding company Berkshire Hathaway.

The job listing violated the Immigration and Nationality Act by discouraging non U.S.-born citizens and non-citizens from applying for the job, the Justice Department and Department of Labor said. It also violated Executive Order 11246, which prohibits federal contractors from discriminating in employment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.

"It is shameful that in the 21st century, we continue to see employers using ‘whites only’ and ‘only US born’ job postings to lock out otherwise eligible job candidates of color," said Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. "I share the public’s outrage at Arthur Grand’s appalling and discriminatory ban on job candidates based on citizenship status, national origin, color and race."

Arthur Grand, a company serving the federal government and other clients, said in a settlement agreement that the job listing came from the "disgruntled recruiter" in India and was not authorized by the company.

As part of the Justice Department settlement, Arthur Grand will pay a $7,500 civil penalty to the United States. The company also has an agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to compensate people who had been discriminated against by the job listing. The company will provide $31,000 in compensation and other injunctive relief. The company must train employees on the Immigration and Nationality Act requirements, get departmental monitoring and revise its employment policies.

Arthur Grand’s CEO, Sheik Rahmathullah, told CNN the firm is "proud to be a minority-owned company,” and “These agreements should not be construed as an admission of guilt or wrongdoing by Arthur Grand Technologies.” … “We sincerely apologize for any harm caused by this incident and are committed to making meaningful changes to maintain the trust and confidence of our community and stakeholders.”

Michele Hodge, acting director of the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, told CNN, “Companies like Arthur Grand, that accept federal contracts cannot have a ‘Whites only’ hiring process.”