Some jobs require not just bilingual ability, but fluency in a particular language other than English. Hiring for that specific skill isn’t discrimination.
Recent case: Hamida worked as a social worker for the Illinois Department of Human Services. When budget cuts required layoffs, Hamida was among those who lost their jobs.
She sued, alleging that she had been passed over for a job that required foreign language proficiency, and that she spoke two foreign languages, including Farsi and Darai.
The department explained it selected a less-senior social worker who speaks Spanish because it needed a fluent speaker of Spanish, not just any language.
The court threw out the case, citing the irrational argument Hamida put forth—essentially that any second language was good enough for the bilingual position. (Naficy v. Illinois Department of Human Services, No. 11-2144, 7th Cir., 2012)
- How to Fire an Employee the Legal Way: 6 Termination Guidelines
- Help managers avoid these top 5 firing mistakes
- Defying expectations: Why failing to live up to stereotypes won't make worker's suit a winner
- Documentation key to showing prompt, fair investigation
- Woman has affair, quits and then loses sex discrimination case