BRASELTON, Ga. — At a time when many Georgians are having trouble finding a job, a CBS Atlanta investigation has uncovered illegal immigrants working at Chateau Elan. A former employee thinks she was fired after 14 years because the resort could pay an illegal immigrant less money.
Chateau Elan is considered by many to be a playground for the rich and well-connected. Guests enjoy the on-site winery, pristine golf-course, spa services at the immaculatley manicured resort in Braselton. But employees tell CBS Atlanta Chateau Elan has a hiring practice management doesn’t want to talk about.
“The truth is they hire illegal immigrants,” said a current employee who asked that her identity be hidden. Undercover video shows Spanish-speaking employees working in housekeeping, laundry and the winery. The employee said some illegal immigrants asked to marry her so they could get “papers” that would allow them to stay in the country legally.
Gwinnett County Sheriff records show a Chateau Elan supervisor was arrested for driving without a license in March and turned over to immigration authorities because he wasn’t in the United States legally. Sheriff office documents show nearly a dozen others who claimed to work at Chateau Elan were not United States citizens when they were arrested from 2000 to 2010.
“I liked working at Chateau Elan,” said Barbara Schindler. The 14-year employee was terminated in January 2009. She believes she was replaced with cheaper illegal labor.
“It’s wrong. It’s hard to find work,” said Schindler.
Chateau Elan management would not agree to an on-camera interview.
In a statement sent to CBS Atlanta, the resort’s president and CEO Henk Evers wrote: “We would not dishonor its [Chateau Elan's] reputation through the employment of people who do not have the legal right to work within our country.” The statement goes on to say, “your call prompted us to re-evaluate our affiliation with HS Solutions Inc., the outside organization that provides non-guest facing services to Chateau Elan that you mentioned in your phone call to Doug Rollins, Chateau Elan’s vice president of sales and marketing. Effective immediately, we have terminated our contract for outside employment services with HSS.”
Did Chateau Elan break the law? A spokesperson for the resort said it was up to HS Solutions to verify the legal status of each applicant. However, if Chateau Elan management knew illegal immigrants worked there and did nothing about it, they would be breaking the law.http://www.cbsatlanta.com/news/23822534/detail.html