Paying Employees a Lower Wage Because They Were Born Outside the United States is Illegal

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reached an agreement with a car dealership to settle a national origin discrimination lawsuit alleging that the dealership paid certain employees less money because of their country of origin.  The lawsuit claimed that the dealership had paid Chinese emergency and accessory installation technicians $3 less than its non-Chinese employees in the same position, even when certain non-Chinese employees had little or no relevant experience for the job.  The lawsuit further alleges that the company reprimanded Chinese employees who complained about the unfair pay treatment and threatened to fire Chinese employees if they sought legal advice.  The alleged conduct is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of national origin.  See EEOC v. Chas. S. Winner, Inc., No. 1:16-06137 (D.N.J.).