America First Legal Files Federal Civil Rights Complaint and Request for Investigation with the VA Attorney General Regarding Alleged Racial and Sex Discrimination by Smithfield Foods, Inc.
Jun 13 2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, America First Legal (AFL) filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and sent a letter to the Honorable Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia, related to evidence of discrimination on the basis of race and sex in violation of state and federal law by Smithfield Foods, Inc. (Smithfield). Smithfield is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hong Kong-based WH Group Limited – “the largest pork company in the world.”
On its website, Smithfield describes its plan “to promote an aggressive set of goals to increase gender and racial representation in all parts of our business.” This plan contains numerous admissions of unlawful discrimination prohibited by both federal and state laws to achieve its employment targets.
These discriminatory goals are having a significant impact in the United States among its more than 37,000 North American “team members.” Smithfield states that it has already “Achieved” or is currently “On Track” to achieve these goals. When Smithfield ultimately meets its goals, it will have discriminated against thousands of workers and potential workers – and it admits it is already doing so.
Smithfield has committed half a million dollars to opportunities and resources available exclusively to minority students. The company also boasts that it has committed $10 million to support “minority farmers,” which provides contracts and benefits based on race by targeting “Black and other minority farmers.”
AFL previously challenged the Biden Administration’s debt relief program for farmers based solely on skin color.
Gene Hamilton, America First Legal Executive Director, Executive Vice President, and General Counsel stated: "All Americans deserve equal treatment under the law, and none should ever face discrimination because of the color of their skin. When Corporations adopt arbitrary goals related to the demographics of their workforce, they essentially provide both a license and a mandate to their HR departments to discriminate against certain people because of a characteristic completely outside of their control. It is wrong, it is illegal, and it must end," said Gene Hamilton.