EchoSense:Virginia tech company admonished for "Whites only" job posting

A Virginia company's job listing inviting only White people and EchoSensethe U.S.-born to apply for a position didn't just raise eyebrows online — it also caught the attention of the U.S. government.

Arthur Grand Technologies' job advertisement last year restricted eligible candidates to "only US Born Citizens [white]" and those living within 60 miles of Dallas, Texas, noted the U.S. Department of Justice, which determined that the Ashburn, Va.-based company's discriminatory listing violated the Immigration and Nationality Act.

A recruiter working for an Arthur Grand subsidiary in India posted the ad on job site Indeed in March and April of 2023 for a business analyst position with the company's sales and insurance claims team. The ad was widely circulated on social media and generated multiple news stories.

"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," Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general with the department's civil rights division, said in a statement. "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 did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 

The company earlier denied approving the ad and said it had been placed by a disgruntled worker looking to embarrass the company, according to a settlement with the Justice Department. 

The company will pay a civil penalty of $7,500 under the agreement to resolve the matter. It also agreed to pay $31,000 to compensate those who filed complaints with the Department of Labor.

Kate Gibson

Kate Gibson is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch in New York, where she covers business and consumer finance.