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U.S. Sues American Co. For Requiring Workers to Speak English
Judicial Watch ^ | July 1 2014 | Judicial Watch

Posted on 07/01/2014 12:18:26 PM PDT by PoloSec

The United States government is actually suing a private American business for discriminating against Hispanic and Asian employees because they don’t speak English on the job.

It involves a Green Bay Wisconsin metal and plastic manufacturer that fired a group of Hmong and Hispanic workers over their English skills, “even though those skills were not needed to perform their jobs,” according to the feds. More importantly, forcing employees to speak English in the U.S. violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, says the Obama administration.

Here’s the twisted explanation from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency that enforces the nation’s workplace discrimination laws; the Civil Rights Act protects employees from discrimination based on national origin, which includes the linguistic characteristics of a national origin group. Therefore, according to this reasoning, foreigners have the right to speak their native language even during work hours at an American company that requires English.

Requirements of English fluency and so-called English only rules are often implemented to make what is really discrimination appear acceptable, says the government attorney handling this case. “But superficial appearances are not fooling anyone,” he assures. “When speaking English fluently is not, in fact, required for the safe and effective performance of a job, nor for the successful operation of the employer’s business, requiring employees to be fluent in English usually constitutes employment discrimination on the basis of national origin — and thus violates federal law.”

Under President Obama the EEOC has taken a number of unprecedented actions to protect foreigners in the workplace, including illegal immigrants. In 2009 the agency issued a controversial order making a workplace English rule illegal. The directive came after the EEOC bullied a national healthcare firm to pay nearly half a million dollars to settle a discrimination lawsuit in which the government alleged that Hispanic workers were punished for speaking Spanish.

The agency has been on a roll ever since, taking legal action against businesses across the country accusing them of everything from discriminating against minorities for running criminal background and credit checks to discriminating against Muslims for not allowing hijabs on the job. The criminal background and credit checks disproportionately exclude blacks from hire, according to EEOC lawsuits against several companies. Businesses that forbid Muslim women from wearing a hijab at work violate religious rights guaranteed under the nation’s civil rights laws even when all head coverings are banned for all employees, the EEOC asserts

Last fall an Obama-appointed federal judge handed the administration a major victory, ruling that a Muslim woman’s civil rights were indeed violated by an American clothing retailer that didn’t allow her to wear the head scarf as required by her religion. The EEOC had filed the lawsuit against retail giant Abercrombie & Fitch, accusing it of religious discrimination for firing 19-year-old Umme-Hani Khan for wearing a hijab at a northern California store. The company, which focuses on hip casual wear for consumers aged 18 to 22, has a policy against head covers of any kind for its employees.


TOPICS: Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; US: District of Columbia; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: english
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To: ealgeone

Yes, it is. English reading and writing skills are required to become a citizen. They’re tested for, but probably only at a cursory level.

However English isn’t required to become a Legal Permanent Resident (Green Card holder). I wonder what the law says regarding companies that decide to only hire US citizens. That I don’t know.

If companies are permitted to only hire citizens, this could be a good thing.


21 posted on 07/01/2014 1:13:38 PM PDT by tanknetter
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To: PoloSec

Don’t worry , Obama has the Worst Lawyers in the World ,but on the other side they do have tons of Armed Thugs


22 posted on 07/01/2014 1:32:57 PM PDT by molson209 (Blank)
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To: BipolarBob

you absolutely should...at the very least i would call and/or send a complaint to the DOJ about the situation, CC’ing Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levine, etc....


23 posted on 07/01/2014 1:36:27 PM PDT by God luvs America (63.5 million pay no income tax and vote for DemoKrats...)
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To: PoloSec
Does this apply to businesses that insist on Spanish fluency for hiring a candidate? Isn't that discrimination too? I had the displeasure of trying to order food at the McDonald's in Greenwood Village (near Denver) on a business trip in 2000. Not a single employee behind the counter spoke English. There was a big poster of products for sale so English speaking customers were reduced to pointing at an item and indicating the number desired by holding up the right number of fingers. Thinking back on that experience, it was the last time I entered a McDonald's to order food. Fourteen years without patronizing them and I don't miss it one bit.
24 posted on 07/01/2014 2:01:46 PM PDT by Myrddin
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To: BipolarBob

Shut up and pay your taxes, Whitey—the laws don’t protect you anymore! </Democrat>


25 posted on 07/01/2014 2:23:53 PM PDT by Trod Upon (Every penny given to film and TV media companies goes right into enemy coffers. Starve them out!)
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To: jsanders2001

You wouldn’t believe the number of drive thrus here where I cant understand a thing they are saying. I get rude about it and tell them......get me someone who speaks English. If I can’t understand any of them I will drive off and make a complaint to the company. Peeves me to no end.


26 posted on 07/01/2014 2:39:22 PM PDT by sheana
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To: ealgeone

Instructions on operations and safety are printed in English.

Warning signs are in English

Public address instructions and warnings are in English.

A non-English speaking employee and produce poorly, cannot work with English speaking crew, will not understand warnings - written or verbal - people will get hurt or killed - the company will sued out of existence.


27 posted on 07/01/2014 3:36:32 PM PDT by elpadre (AfganistaMr Obama said the goal was to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-hereQaeda" and its allies.)
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To: jsanders2001
If they’re working the drive-thru they damn better make they understand English.

They damn' better make sure they know how to write it too!

28 posted on 07/01/2014 3:39:31 PM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: elpadre
A non-English speaking employee and produce poorly, cannot work with English speaking crew .....

Uh, what?!

29 posted on 07/01/2014 3:40:49 PM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: Balding_Eagle
This is nothing more than TRICKLE DOWN TYRANNY.

Have you trademarked that yet? First I've seen "Trickle Down Tyranny" and think it's catchy ..... bumpersticker catchy. (Mean that in a good way!)

30 posted on 07/01/2014 3:42:58 PM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: Squawk 8888
You now have to speak at least one of our languages to become a citizen.

Help me out here ... exactly how many languages are there in Canada to choose from in order to test fluently and become a citizen?

As far as I know there's:

- English
- The Queen's English
- French
- French Surrender Monkey
- The French spoken in Montreal (they like to think they're REALLY French)
- Backbacon
- Some language that sounds vaguely like a Michigan Yooper.

I do a pretty good Michigan Yooper impression -- think I'll pass?

31 posted on 07/01/2014 3:46:48 PM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: PoloSec

They are not discriminating against Asians or Hispanics, they are simply not equipped to hire employees who cannot understand the rules and instructions.


32 posted on 07/01/2014 3:49:14 PM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
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To: PoloSec

The EEOC is another agency that needs shuttered along with 95% of the rest.


33 posted on 07/01/2014 3:50:08 PM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
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To: technically right

In Texas it is normal to give no reason. It’s better that way really.


34 posted on 07/01/2014 3:52:28 PM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
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To: usconservative

Thanks for the compliment, I’ll pass it along to Mrs BE, She’s the smart woman who thought of it.

It’s nice to be recognized, but in this case I agree with you, it’s very catchy, and it can easily be spread across the conservative universe like lightning.

Let’s do it, those words have power we all need.


35 posted on 07/01/2014 4:20:33 PM PDT by Balding_Eagle (TRICKLE DOWN TYRANNY is trickling down from President Obama to his minions)
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To: usconservative

I meant to include the fact that it’s use shouldn’t be limited, let’s ALL use it for the benefit of the America we love.


36 posted on 07/01/2014 4:22:07 PM PDT by Balding_Eagle (TRICKLE DOWN TYRANNY is trickling down from President Obama to his minions)
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To: Balding_Eagle

Suggestion: Find the “O”bama symbol and make it the letter “O” in “Trickle DOWN Tyranny” and make it a graphic. Know how? If not I can show you.


37 posted on 07/01/2014 4:52:22 PM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: Balding_Eagle

38 posted on 07/01/2014 5:02:32 PM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: usconservative
Dang it, fonts didn't match ...this should be better:


39 posted on 07/01/2014 5:09:12 PM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: usconservative; Jim Robinson; Lazamataz
Hey Jim, whaddya think about the above graphic on the opening FR page?

We have a despot of a President who's trickling down (literally pissing on every one of us!) tyranny!! It's high time we call Obama what he is: a Tyrant! Every thing that narcissistic jackwagon does is trickle down tyranny!

40 posted on 07/01/2014 5:11:46 PM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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