BY HAYLEY FOWLER
(THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER) Two former employees at a Tyson chicken plant in North Carolina said they were repeatedly called a racial slur by a team leader during their four years of employment.
The employees — a married couple who are Black and Muslim — accused Tyson Farms Inc. of violating the Civil Rights Act by allowing management to discriminate against employees and retaliate against those who complained of mistreatment. Tyson Farms operates a Tyson Foods chicken processing plant in Wilkesboro, where the couple previously worked.
In a statement to McClatchy News, a representative for Tyson Foods declined to comment on pending litigation but said the company values diversity.
“At Tyson Foods, we value the enormous diversity of our team members and we continue to work hard to create an inclusive environment where everyone is, and feels, safe and respected,” the company said. “We also have a policy against workplace discrimination and harassment and will not tolerate any action that violates them.”
An attorney representing the former employees did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.
