The Department of Justice announced today that it reached a settlement with JP Senior Healthcare LLC and JP Senior Management LLC, resolving the department’s claims that these companies violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against a Latino employee based on assumptions that the worker was not a U.S. citizen.

JP Senior Management manages two nursing facilities owned by JP Senior Healthcare: Pioneer Valley Living and Rehab located in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, and Goldenrod Manor Care Center located in Clarinda, Iowa.

Based on its investigation, the department determined that while verifying a new employee’s legal right to work in the United States, JP Senior Healthcare and JP Senior Management rejected the U.S. citizen’s valid driver’s license and unrestricted Social Security card. The investigation further concluded that the companies demanded that the worker instead present a Permanent Resident Card based on the companies’ incorrect belief that the worker was not a U.S. citizen, even after the worker explained that he was a U.S. citizen, and therefore, not eligible for a Permanent Resident Card. Additionally, the department determined that these documentary demands resulted in the end of the worker’s employment. The INA’s anti-discrimination provision prohibits employers from requesting more or different documents than necessary to prove work authorization based on employees’ citizenship status or national origin. Instead, all work-authorized individuals, regardless of citizenship status or national origin, may choose which valid, legally acceptable documents to present to demonstrate their ability to work in the United States.

“Employers must treat all workers fairly and consistent with the law, without making assumptions about a worker’s citizenship based on appearance or Hispanic national origin,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to ensuring that workplaces are free of discrimination.”

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, JP Senior Healthcare LLC and JP Senior Management LLC will pay a civil penalty to the United States; pay the injured worker back pay plus interest; and train relevant employees on the INA’s anti-discrimination provision.

The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits citizenship or immigration status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; and retaliation and intimidation.

Atlantic Police Chief Dave Erickson reports five arrests occurred over the past week. Most recently, on Tuesday (Aug. 10), 40-year-old David Thomas was arrested for Interference with Official Acts. On Monday, 42-year-old Monty Casteel, of Atlantic, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense, and Willful Injury.

On Aug. 6th, 23-year-old Sean Smith, of Atlantic, was arrested for Burglary in the 3rd Degree, Criminal Mischief in the 5th, Possession of a Controlled Substance (Marijuana), and Interference with Official Acts. On Aug. 4th, Atlantic Police arrested 42-year-old Christopher Knight, of Atlantic, for Driving While Barred. And, on August 3rd, 39-year old Chad Wilcox, of Atlantic, was arrested for Public Intoxication.

Each of those subjects were transported to the Cass County Jail and booked-in. As of Aug. 13th, only Monty Casteel remained in the jail.

Police in Glenwood report the arrest on Friday (today), of 29-year-old Aaron McDaniel, of Glenwood. He was taken into custody for OWI/1st offense and carrying dangerous weapons. His cash or surety bond was set at $2,000.

(Radio Iowa) – The process of drawing new maps for Iowa’s congressional and legislative districts is underway. The non-partisan Legislative Services Agency reconfigures district lines every 10 years, based on new population estimates. The U-S Census Bureau released those numbers yesterday (Thursday). Jean Lloyd-Jones was president of the Iowa League of Women Voters when the group was deciding whether to join a lawsuit that challenged the maps drawn back in 1971. “At the end of the call, I took roll and it was tied, so I cast the deciding vote and the next week we walked up there to the state capitol and filed the petition and let the chips fall where they may,” Lloyd-Jones says, “and the chips fell very well for us.”

The Iowa Supreme Court overturned the 1971 redistricting plan the Republican-controlled legislature developed. Lloyd-Jones says the testimony of Betty Kitzman of Ames, a League of Women Voters lobbyist, was critical to the case. “At one point she was being queried by the opposing attorney, the defender of the plan, and he said: ‘Mrs. Kitzman, don’t you think you should have had some Republicans on your committee?’ and she smiled and said: ‘Sir, I am a Republican.’ And he looked aghast and said: ‘But you’re an impartial Republican,'” Lloyd-Jones says.

Lloyd-Jones made her comments during a 2018 forum about Iowa’s redistricting process that was broadcast on C-SPAN. The Iowa Supreme Court tossed out the plan approved by the 1971 legislature and the justices consulted with an attorney in the Legislative Services Bureau to draw up the congressional and legislative district maps used in that decade.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports six separate arrests over the past week. Two people were arrested Wednesday: 47-year-old John Duane Anderson, of Cumberland, was arrested for violation of a no contact order and control of a firearm by a domestic abuse offender.  Anderson was taken to Cass County Jail where he later posted bond. And, 39-year-old Ryan Michael Paul, of Adair, was arrested in Cass County on a Hardin County warrant for failure to appear.  Ryan was transported to Cass County Jail and was released after posting bond.

There were two arrests in Cass County Monday, as well: 22-year-old Nailah Chanel Sawyer, of St. Paul, MN, was taken into custody on a Cass County warrant for controlled substance violations and drug stamp violation.  Sawyer was held at Cass County Jail and was later released on her own recognizance. And, 43-year-old Anthony Karns, of Wiota, was arrested for violation of a no contact order.  Karns was transported to Cass County Jail and was released the following day after posting bond.

On August 8th, Cass County Deputies arrested 26-year-old Casy James Curnyn, of Denison, for OWI 1st offense and possession of controlled substance-marijuana 1st.  Curnyn was transported to Cass County Jail and later released on his own recognizance. And, as we’ve previously mentioned, 53-year-old Julian Joe Gallegos, Jr., of Albuquerque, NM, was arrested at around 10:40-p.m. Sunday, Aug. 8th, after Cass County Deputies and Atlantic Police Department were called to an incident of shots fired at the Turkey Creek Lodge on E 7th St., in Atlantic.  As a result of the investigation, deputies arrested Gallegos, Jr.,  for reckless use of a firearm and going armed with intent.  He was remains held in the Cass County Jail.

In an update to previous reports, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office Friday (today), said a woman from Polk County was injured during a collision east of Wiota Thursday morning. The accident happened at around 8:50-a.m. at the intersection of White Pole Road and 690th Street. Officials say Jovanna Marie Yenchi, of West Des Moines, was driving a 2013 Ford transit van traveling westbound on White Pole Road.

When Yenchi slowed to turn left onto 690th St. her vehicle was struck from behind by a 1983 Freightliner dump truck, driven by Tyson Blane Edwards, of Fontenelle.  Both vehicles crossed into the south ditch and came to rest east of 690th St.  A third vehicle, a 2019 Chevy Colorado, driven by Paul James Hohenberger, of Atlantic, was traveling eastbound on White Pole Rd when his vehicle was struck by flying debris from the collision.  Yenchi was transported to Cass County Memorial Hospital for treatment.