Thread: Gov't Sues Small Company for Firing Workers Over Poor English Skills

Gov't Sues Small Company for Firing Workers Over Poor English Skills




by Fox News Insider // Jul 03 2014 // 7:53am

As seen on Fox and Friends


Judge Andrew Napolitano offered his expert analysis this morning on a complex case out of Wisconsin, where a company is being sued by the federal government for firing workers who did not possess adequate language skills.


The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claims Wisconsin Plastics Inc. violated civil rights laws that protect workers in the United States from discrimination based on national origin.
Here's more on the suit from the Journal Sentinel:

An administrative investigation showed that Wisconsin Plastics fired 22 Hispanic and Hmong employees based on 10-minute observations that marked them down for their English skills, even though language skills were not needed to perform their jobs, according to John Rowe, director of the EEOC's Chicago District office.
All of those fired had received satisfactory ratings on their annual performance evaluations while working for Wiscosnin Plastics Modern Plastics Division, a release from the EEOC said.
Such alleged conduct violates Civil Rights laws that protect employees from discrimination based on national origin, which includes the linguistic characteristics of a national origin group, he said.
The EEOC first tried to resolve the matter before filing suit, he said.
The action was filed Tuesday in federal court in Green Bay. It was assigned to U.S. District Judge William Griesbach.
In the suit, the EEOC seeks lost wages, compensatory and punitive damages for the discharged employees, and injunctive relief to end the discriminatory practices.

Napolitano said it all boils down to whether English-speaking skills are a requirement of the job, but added that it's "offensive to many people" that the federal government is intruding in this case. He argued there is no "federal issue," since the dispute involves a private corporation on the local level.
Clayton Morris pointed out that the workers were at the company for five months before being fired.
"If English is required, why were these people hired? And if English is not required, why were these people fired? But is this the federal government's job to scrutinize?" he asked, adding that President Obama has made it clear during his time in office that he wants these issues "in our faces because he wants us to live the way he wants us to live."
Watch the full discussion above.

video at link below
http://foxnewsinsider.com/2014/07/03...english-skills

Congressman Denied Access to Facility Housing Illegal Immigrant Children

Critics say admin is being opaque and uncooperative on flood of Central American children



Unaccompanied alien children at a holding center in Arizona / AP

BY: Lachlan Markay
July 2, 2014 5:48 pm

The Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday forbade a U.S. congressman from observing federal facilities in his state where hundreds of illegal immigrant children are currently being held.
Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R., Okla.) said in a Wednesday news release that HHS staff at a department facility at Fort Sill told him he had to schedule an appointment to see the facilities, which are currently housing up to 1,200 Central American children who recently crossed the southern border illegally.
“There is no excuse for denying a federal representative from Oklahoma access to a federal facility in Oklahoma where unaccompanied children are being held,” Bridenstine said in a statement. “Any member of Congress should have the legal authority to visit a federal youth detention facility without waiting three weeks.”
Up to 1,400 unaccompanied children between the ages of 12 and 17 are expected to be housed at the Fort Sill facility, according to Sen. Jim Inhofe (R., Okla.).
President Barack Obama has asked Congress for the authority to quickly deport all children who are not accompanied by an adult.
After the U.S. Border Patrol apprehends such children they are handed over to HHS, which houses them in various immigrant shelters such as the one at Fort Sill.
Given the recent influx of unaccompanied alien children (UAC), as they are officially termed, some members of Congress have expressed concern about the federal government’s ability to house and care for them all.
The department has not been forthcoming with legislators who have expressed such concerns, Inhofe said in an emailed statement.
“We have not received information in a timely manner, and the information we do receive is many times inconsistent depending on which government agency is providing it,” Inhofe said.
“No one seems to know exactly what is going on at any time, which has made it very difficult for members to do our job to provide needed oversight,” he added.
Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R., Wis.) expressed similar concerns in a letter to HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell last month.
“I am deeply concerned with HHS’ lack of transparency and preparation,” Sensenbrenner wrote.
“Where is HHS currently housing UACs and for how long?” he asked. “What other sites/locations are currently planned? […] How many immigrants do you plan to accommodate? What do you anticipate to be the final cost of housing UACs to taxpayers?”
Bridenstine also suggested that HHS was not being transparent about its handling of the situation.
He said that he asked a security guard at the Fort Sill facility to speak with a manager. The security guard’s supervisor said the congressman would need to schedule an appointment.
“What are they trying to hide? Do they not want the children to speak with members of Congress?” he asked.
A statement from HHS’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF) said in a statement that the department is working to provide access to the facility “as frequently as possible without disrupting our ability to properly care for the children as part of this humanitarian situation.”
The statement noted that ACF has provided 55 elected officials with requested tours of the facility. “We will continue to schedule these tours of temporary shelters on a regular basis with any officials who request them.”
Bridenstine was one of 33 House Republicans who signed onto a Wednesday letter asking the president to work with Congress on UAC issues and other immigration policies.
“As Congress considers legislative proposals to ensure our system is reserved for deserving applicants, we urge you to cooperate with Congressional leaders to provide accurate data on the recent surge and work for legislative reforms that ensure the safe repatriation of these minor children to family members in their home countries and provide the commitment necessary to secure our border,” they wrote.

http://freebeacon.com/issues/congres...rant-children/