Department of Justice settlement with Washington University School of Medicine related to I-9 Discrimination and Retaliation

On April 16, 2024, the U.S. Justice Department announced a settlement agreement between a plaintiff and the Washington University School of Medicine. The agreement resolves the department’s determination that its medical school, known as Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, violated antidiscrimination requirements under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against an employee based on his citizenship status and then retaliating against him for complaining about the discrimination.

The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) found that the university discriminated against an individual who had been granted asylum by the federal government by “repeatedly confronting” him about his immigration status in relation to his right to work, even though he had provided sufficient proof of valid work authorization. The department also determined that the university had retaliated against the plaintiff by terminating his employment after he complained about the discrimination.

The settlement requires that the school pay civil penalties to the United States and pay backpay to the affected employee who filed a complaint with IER. The agreement also requires the school to train its personnel on immigration related antidiscrimination requirements, and revise its employment policies.  The school will also be subject to departmental monitoring and reporting requirements.