Tuesday, August 5, 2008 Annapolis Weather



Company hasn't turned over personnel documents




Billy Casper Golf officials met with police yesterday about immigration probe
By ERIN COX, Staff Writer
Published August 05, 2008
The company that manages two county-owned golf courses declined to turn over personnel documents to county police amid an immigration probe, Anne Arundel officials said.

County police met with officials from Billy Casper Golf yesterday to discuss concerns that the company employed illegal workers at the county's Eisenhower Golf Course in Crownsville and Compass Pointe Golf Course in Pasadena. The investigation came after several employees fled their jobs at Compass Pointe late last month when county police visited the course on a tip about undocumented workers.

More workers apparently did the same thing at Eisenhower a few days later.

At yesterday's meeting, the company did not bring immigration documents the county had requested, prompting Chief Administrative Officer Dennis Callahan to question the behavior of company officials.

"If I were them, I would have brought the information," Mr. Callahan said this morning, later adding he can't understand why the company would notify employees about the immigration audit and let them leave their jobs.

County policy allows Anne Arundel to revoke any contract if a company knowingly employs undocumented workers, and Billy Casper has an eight-year, $1.4 million contract to operate both county-owned golf courses. Mr. Callahan and County Executive John R. Leopold said the county could terminate the contract with Billy Casper.

In a letter Friday to County Attorney Jonathan Hodgson, Billy Casper Senior Vice President Joseph D. Livingood said the company did not automatically hand over immigration information because the company is "required by law to protect the privacy interests of our employees."

Mr. Livingood also said the company reviewed the documents of employees who left their jobs and the paperwork appeared "acceptable and appropriate."

County police spokesman Sgt. John Gilmer said Billy Casper is cooperating with the investigation and that another meeting with Billy Casper officials has been scheduled for later this week.

Billy Casper spokesman Rich Katz, a senior vice president, had a different take than Mr. Callahan.

"It was a very cordial, productive and cooperative meeting," Mr. Katz said. "We're all on the same page, finalizing details that we're confident will ultimately establish our firm is in compliance with the law."


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