WASHINGTON, D.C. — J.C. Penney Corporation has reached a settlement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding allegations the company was facing for immigration-related discrimination.
The DOJ has announced J.C. Penney has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $14,430 as well as provide $11,177.60 in back pay for one of the two claims of discrimination.
According to the DOJ, the department conducted two investigations with one relating to a violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and the other investigation relating to unlawfully rejecting a lawful, permanent resident's valid work authorization documents.
In one investigation, the DOJ alleges J.C. Penney fired an employee who was a lawful, permanent resident and falsely rejected the employee's unexpired permanent resident card in violation of the INA.
In the second investigation, the DOJ alleges J.C. Penney illegally re-verified an employee's work authorization of certain non-U.S. citizens based on their citizenship status although the non-citizens had valid work authorization documents upon hiring.
“Employers should not impose unlawful and discriminatory burdens on employees based on their citizenship or immigration status during the reverification process,” acting assistant attorney general John Gore said in a statement.
The settlement also requires J.C. Penney to train staff and corporate human resource personnel, post notices to inform workers of their rights and is subject to monitoring and reporting requirements, according to the Justice Department.