Dealing with discrimination and harassment in the workplace can be very difficult. However, there has been a recent victory for those fighting against unjust working conditions in the form of a $4,000,000 settlement in a discrimination case against Sara Lee. African American workers of a Sara Lee factory in Paris, Texas rallied together and initiated a lawsuit against the company for what is now heralded a landmark racial discrimination case. The facility in question closed down in 2011 and Sara Lee was eventually acquired by Tyson in 2014. The findings of a two year investigation led by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after the location closed helped these workers be awarded a hefty settlement for millions of dollars. The EEOC alleged it would initiate its own lawsuit if a resolution was not reached.
These allegations of environmental racism and discrimination in the workplace were corroborated by the EEOC. They included being called racial slurs by their supervisors in an attempt to intimidate and threaten them. They were also exposed to racist graffiti that included crude drawings of apes with nooses. The discrimination continued as their health was put at risk by being forced to work in hazardous environments more often than their white coworkers. African American workers at this Sara Lee factory were required to work more time in positions that were exposed to black mold and asbestos and were routinely overlooked for promotions which were constantly given to white workers with less experience. The plaintiffs allege that they requested to be switched to other positions due to the health concerns but were either denied or never acknowledged in the first place. This discrepancy in treatment possibly caused some plaintiffs to develop cancer and other diseases due to over exposure of these toxic elements. Seventy four African American workers were included in the 4 million dollar discrimination lawsuit settlement.
Even though the corporate bakery, which was acquired by Hillshire Brands, didn’t agree with all of the claims made by the plaintiffs, they have made steps to improve workplace harassment and have taken preventative approaches to avoid future racial discrimination as agreed upon under the terms of the settlement. If you or a loved one is dealing with discrimination, harassment or a wrongful termination in your place of employment, call our firm at 212-300-0375 for a free phone consultation or visit our website www.fslawfirm.com. One of our experienced attorneys will take the time to discuss the details of your situation and help assess your claim.