A South Carolina senior living company, Watercrest Community Management LLC, has reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) over allegations of discrimination against a non-U.S. citizen employee. The company, based in Myrtle Beach, will pay a fine and take corrective action to prevent future violations of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
The case stemmed from a complaint filed by a worker whose valid work authorization document was rejected by Watercrest. According to the DOJ, the company demanded additional and unnecessary documents solely because of the worker’s citizenship status, which violated federal law. The investigation revealed that Watercrest’s use of its commercial Form I-9 software program led to improper requests for extra paperwork, even though the worker’s documentation was valid.
Under the INA, employers are prohibited from rejecting legitimate work authorization documents or requesting more information than necessary based on an individual’s citizenship or immigration status. Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, emphasized that federal law protects workers from such discrimination, aiming to eliminate barriers to employment.
