Hillshire Brands Co., formerly known as Sara Lee Corp., has agreed to pay $4 million in damages to 74 African-American former employees who sued the company over racial discrimination charges, according to UPI News.
The former employees were from the company's facility in Paris, Texas. The lawsuit notes that the African-American employees were subjected to racist graffiti and a hostile work environment. They were also reportedly berated by their supervisors and co-workers with racial slurs.
Upon investigation, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found that the African-American was also exposed to asbestos and other harmful toxins in their line of work. The employees addressed their concerns with the company's management, but their complaints were allegedly ignored, reported The Grio.
Meaghan L. Shepard, trial attorney for the Dallas District of EEOC, believes that the discrimination in the company has been going on for a long time.
"EEOC determined racial slurs and graffiti continued at the facility in Paris for years, until the doors finally closed in November 2011," Shepard said, according to JD Supra News.
The Paris site, where the discrimination was rampant, was eventually closed down and the company later became Hillshire Brands, which was in turn bought by Tyson Foods.
A Tyson spokesman has assured that the company is fully committed to treating its workers, regardless of race, with the utmost dignity and respect.
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