i think you ought to be able to hire who you want.
but that doesn’t allow you to violate the law of your state when you do it.
change the hiring laws if you don’t like it.
or be smarter when you tell someone they weren’t hired. it would not have been that hard to tell the guy later that he didn’t make the second round of candidates.
think a little bit.
I’ll try to think a little bit, assuming I’m even capable of that. Meanwhile, you should go sue the bastards.