THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Friday, December 16, 1983 15 o California Bias Case Leads Firm to Modify Hiring Policy NEW YORK — A California company charged with violating anti-bias laws by dis- criminating against Jewish applicants for work in Saudi Arabia has agreed to modify its hiring practices and to pay monetary damages to a plaintiff. The settlement of a law- - suit between the Trainex Corp. in Garden Grove., Calif., and the state of California requires the company to pay damages to Paul I. Lobell, who claimed he was denied a teaching position in Saudi Arabia solely because he is a Jew. Trainex will also change part of its job application process, as part of the set- tlement. The. lawsuit was spon- sored by the American - Jewish Congress on Lobell's behalf. Joel P. Kelly, one of the AJCongress lawyers re- presenting the plaintiff, called the decision of the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) to issue an accusation against Trainex a "watershed in fair em- ployment enforcement." He noted that the DFEH in ef- fect has warned that California employers may not help the Saudi Arabians "weed out" Jews who wish to work in their country. DFEH, which is charged with enforcing fair employment laws in California, "has told em- ployers for the first time that they cannot disre- gard California's fair employment law with. impunity simply because the employment is con- templated to take place outside California," Kelly said. Trainex Corp. is a sub- sidiary of Baxter Travenol Laboratories of Illinois. Trainex conducts English- language training in Saudi Arabia for medical techni- cians. Lobell's complaint to the DFEH charged that in May 1982 he was turned down by Trainex for a job as a teacher in Saudi Arabia only because of his religion. Before the company learned he was Jewish, Lobell said, he was informed he had been hired. He noted that he had been given a physical examination and had signed an employment con- tract. Ten days later, when Trainex discovered he was Jewish, he was told by a company official that he could not have the job be- cause of his religion, Lobell asserted. After examining the facts, the DFEH issued a formal accusation against Trainex. In addition to cit- ing religious discrimination in Lobell's case, the state agency charged the com- pany with engaging in an illegal employment policy by requiring all applicants for jobs in Saudi Arabia to complete a Saudi Arabian visa application as a condi- tion of employment. Because the Saudi Ara- bian visa appTication re- quired disclosure of. reli- gious - preference, the DFEH charged that Trainex's process had the ef- fect of assisting the Saudis in their discrimination against Jews, Kelly said. ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► Select group 0 DansWia® and ftex ► ► IPP $23-$34 values n $ 10 putch wil u pV%es lash IPP ► ► Free1-Sta r good whiles elector% 0 goll and tennis ► apparel, Ch oose r warrn-ups, running gees, sweats, TIPP "ir swirn skirts and leisure wear. ► Israel-EEC Pact BONN (JTA) — Israel and the European Economic Community (EEC) signed an accord in Brussels - last week providing for two joint research projects which will be carried out in Israel and financed mainly by the EEC. The signing of the accord was seen by Israeli dip- lomats as another step in normalizing relations be- tween Israel and the EEC, which became strained after Israel's invasion of Lebanon. OUTLET WOMEN'S EXERCISE AND ACTIVEWEAR 20-60% OFF EVERYDAY! specialize in first quality, brand name exercise and activewear. We discount prices way below retail...20-60% less than you'd pay in department or other specialty stores. We are a full-service store providing our customers with helpful sales assistance and private fitting rooms. We 29730 Southfield - Road, Southfield, 559-7585 Hours: Mon.-Sat., 10-9; Sun., 12-6 I ? OFFERS THE CORUM® Hours: Mon.-Sat. 9:30-5:00 Sun., Dec. 11 & 18-11:00-4:00 rant' • 1110 ogksk nc. 31313 Northwestern • Farmington Hills 851-7333 ours: Mon.-Sat. 9:30-5:00 Sun Dec. 11 & 18-11:00-4:00 Sun., H TB. rally • filo ogt8t8 ■ ../i nc. [co 31313 Northwestern • Farmington Hills 851 -7333 . Hours: Mon.-Sat. 9:30-5:00 . Sun., Dec. 11 & 18-11:00-4:00 TH ran mo ogi,sk nc •• MOM 31313 Northwestern • Farmington Hills 851 -7333