Justice Department Secures Agreement to Resolve Claims of Immigration-Related Discrimination at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

The Justice Department announced today that it secured a settlement agreement with The Washington University, a private university headquartered in St. Louis. The agreement resolves the department's determination that its medical school, known as Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (WashU School of Medicine), violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against a worker based on his citizenship status and then retaliating against him for complaining about the discrimination.

"Workers who believe that an employer has discriminated against them based on citizenship status have the right to stand up for themselves, including by making internal complaints to the employer, without retaliation," said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "The Justice Department is committed to holding employers accountable for unlawful discrimination and retaliation."

The Civil Rights Division's Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) determined that WashU School of Medicine discriminated against an individual who had been granted asylum by the federal government when it repeatedly confronted him about his immigration status, his documentation and his right to work, even though he had provided sufficient proof of his permission to work. The department also determined that WashU School of Medicine retaliated against the worker when it terminated his employment for complaining about the discrimination.

Under the terms of the settlement, the school will pay civil penalties to the United States and pay backpay to the affected worker who filed a complaint with IER. The agreement also requires the school to train its personnel on the INA's antidiscrimination requirements, revise its employment policies and be subject to departmental monitoring and reporting requirements.

IER is responsible for enforcing the antidiscrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices or retaliation and intimidation.

Find more information on how employers can avoid discrimination when hiring workers with asylum or refugee status on IER's website. Learn more about IER's work and how to get assistance through this brief video. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public can also call IER's worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER's employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation; email [email protected] or visit IER's English and Spanish websites. Sign up for email updates from IER.