Filed Date: June 2, 2024
Case Ongoing
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This is a lawsuit alleging race discrimination at a Georgia General Mills plant. The plaintiffs are eight current and former employees of General Mills who currently worked, or previously worked within the last four years, at a General Mills’ manufacturing facility in Covington, Georgia.
On June 2, 2024, the plaintiffs filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia alleging that there was a fraternity of white men operating in leadership positions at the Covington facility referred to as the “Good Ole Boys”. The complaint alleged that two white men in management positions only allowed like-minded individuals who “toe the line” to be in management, HR, or other leadership positions at the facility. Certain of defendants’ employees were also alleged to provide benefits for underperforming white employees while systematically holding Black employees to a higher standard of conduct. The plaintiffs asserted claims under Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, the Federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (Federal RICO Act), Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (Georgia RICO Act), and state nuisance law.
The plaintiffs requested to certify a class of the following: all black employees who, within the last four years, worked at General Mills’ Covington facility and suffered an adverse employment action in any form, including a write-up or inclusion in the company's Coaching & Counseling Database. The plaintiffs also sought a declaratory judgement, injunctive relief to disband the Good Ole Boys, compensatory damages, and punitive damages. The case was assigned to District Judge Michael Lawrence Brown.
On August 21, 2024, the plaintiffs filed a first amended complaint alleging retaliation by General Mills after the filling of the initial complaint. They also added eight individual plaintiffs.
On September 24, 2024, the defendant moved to dismiss the plaintiffs’ amended complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, lack of personal jurisdiction, and failure to state any claim for relief.
As of January 2025, this case is ongoing.
Summary Authors
Cara Claflin (1/3/2025)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68822511/parties/davis-v-general-mills-operations-llc/
Brown, Michael Lawrence (Georgia)
Carpenter, Linda (Georgia)
Dean, Douglas (Georgia)
Kendricks, Katherine (Georgia)
Lawrence, Allegra J. (Georgia)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68822511/davis-v-general-mills-operations-llc/
Last updated Jan. 30, 2025, 4 a.m.
State / Territory: Georgia
Case Type(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: June 2, 2024
Case Ongoing: Yes
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
The plaintiffs are eight current and former employees of the defendant who currently work, or previously worked within the last four years, at General Mills’ manufacturing facility in Covington, Georgia.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: Yes
Class Action Outcome: Pending
Defendants
General Mills Operations, LLC, Private Entity/Person
Defendant Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), 18 U.S.C. §§ 1961 et seq.
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: None Yet / None
Nature of Relief:
Source of Relief:
Issues
Discrimination Area:
Harassment / Hostile Work Environment
Discrimination Basis:
Affected Race(s):