Interim Healthcare of Greater New York Inc., a local franchise of healthcare staffing and homecare franchisor Interim Healthcare Inc., will pay $100,000 in penalties, fees and costs to resolve an investigation regarding a help-wanted advertisement, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced.

The investigation began in October 2015, when the Office of the Attorney General of the State of New York learned the firm had placed a newspaper advertisement for caregivers in which it specified “no Haitians” and requested only female applicants.

The investigation found that the discriminatory advertisement in the Pennysaver newspaper stemmed from a patient’s specific request for a nurse who was not Haitian. Prior to being published, the advertisement was not reviewed for compliance with Interim Healthcare’s internal equal opportunity policies or compliance with governing civil rights laws, the Attorney General reported.

The investigation found that Interim Healthcare had inadequate safeguards in place to prevent or remedy unlawful employment discrimination based on the discriminatory requests of patients. As part of the settlement, Interim Healthcare will also revise policies and procedures to ensure full compliance with the law.

“Blatantly discriminatory job advertisements like this are wrong and clearly illegal,” said Schneiderman. “My office is committed to ensuring equal access to employment for all New Yorkers and will not tolerate discrimination against any New Yorker based on race or national origin or any other protected status.”