General Mills is facing some legal troubles after being hit with a lawsuit by eight of their Black employees.
The lawsuit was filed on June 2, and it cites that the company has been called out for its decade-long racist history and favoring their white employees since the 1980s. The plaintiffs claim that the company’s white managers and some HR employees refer to themselves as the “Good Ole Boys.”
The suit also claims that white employees were often chosen for promotions over Black employees who were more qualified. It was also alleged that they used racist symbols to intimidate Black employees from filing complaints.
A mural on the side of the factory was shared, displaying some of the cereal mascots portraying Confederate leaders such as Gen. Stonewall Jackson. One of the plaintiffs says that he found “KKK” written on his lunchbox in 2006 and was later forced to give a writing sample blaming someone.
General Mills’ website claims that its Human Rights Policy is “committed to creating a culture that ensures zero harm to our employees by establishing safe and healthy working conditions” and that “It values diversity and considers it core to our business strategy.”