BOSTON (Legal Newsline) – Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced that Honey Farms Inc. will pay up to $25,000 to resolve racism allegations.
Healey alleges that Honey Farms, a Worcester-based convenience store chain, acted in a discriminatory manner toward a Hispanic customer. According to the claim, a Honey Farms district store manager unfairly targeted and falsely accused a Hispanic customer of theft.
“Customers should never be followed, detained or unfairly accused of theft because of bias and stereotypes,” Healey said. “Both intentional discrimination and unconscious bias take a serious toll on many of our communities, and our office is working to fight all forms of racial discrimination.”
The assurance of discontinuance resolves the allegations. Under the settlement terms, Honey Farms must pay $20,000, which includes compensation to the customer and penalties and attorneys’ fees to Massachusetts. The remaining $5,000 will be suspended pending Honey Farms’ compliance to the terms.
The settlement also forces Honey Farms to create a better, more comprehensive anti-discrimination policy and adhere to it by providing a training program to staff members. Important to this training program will be unconscious bias and how to understand and address it.