Mrs. Fields Cookies settles discrimination claim for $26K

Mrs. Fields Cookies settles discrimination claim for $26K

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Cookie retailer Mrs. Fields will pay more than $26,000 in penalties to settle a claim that it discriminated against non-U.S. citizens authorized to work.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced the agreement in a news release Thursday with the Broomfield, Colorado-based company.

According to the department, Mrs. Fields requested lawful permanent residents at its Salt Lake City distribution center between March 2016 and March 2017 show specific Department of Homeland Security-issued documents. But they didn’t enforce the same requirement on workers who were U.S. citizens.

Investigators say this violated the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which outlaws unnecessary documentation demands based on citizenship status or nation of origin.

Mrs. Fields has also agreed be monitored by the department and have certain employees attend training.