A Philadelphia auto parts firm agreed today to stop a practice of sending sales letters to Arab Middle East countries, containing announcements that the firm did not engage Jews.
The Parts Outlet Company agreed to halt the practice, designed to help solicitation of export orders from Arab League countries, after the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations told the firm that the letters were a violation of the Fair Employment Practices Law. The Philadelphia FEP law bans announcements of discriminatory hiring practices.
The matter was brought to the attention of the Commission by a New York firm which had received one of the letters. Executives of the export company admitted they sent such letters, but said they did not know the practice was illegal. Company officials destroyed all remaining copies of the letter, and agreed to send a letter of apology to the New York City Commission on Human Rights, which had also complained to the Philadelphia Commission.
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