Article ID: 366730e6e8d7489d848983120249f0b38f884f3ab8dd3af58758037ebebf5c6f
Source ID: secondary:businessinsurance.com
Published At: -
Extraction Method: bs4_heuristic
URL: https://www.businessinsurance.com/mcdonalds-must-face-black-ex-executives-harassment-claims/
Body Text
McDonald’s must face Black ex-executives harassment claims - Business Insurance Skip to content Register for free Search Search Log In Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers McDonald’s must face Black ex-executives harassment claims Employment Practices Mar 19, 2026 (Reuters) – A federal judge in Chicago on Wednesday said two former McDonald’s vice presidents can proceed with their lawsuit that they were criticized and subjected to racial slurs because they are Black women, and then forced out of the company for complaining. In a mixed ruling for McDonald’s, U.S. District Judge Mary Rowland dismissed claims that the fast-food giant discriminated against Victoria Guster-Hines and Domineca Neal by passing them over for a promotion, saying they had not shown they were the best candidates for the role they had both sought. But Judge Rowland said allegations in the 2020 lawsuit that a regional president had criticized “Black woman attitude” and described one of the plaintiffs and other McDonald’s employees as “angry Black women” were enough for their hostile work environment claims to move forward. “Courts confronted with accusations regarding ‘angry Black women’ have noted that this epithet carries significant harm with it,” especially when made by a supervisor, the judge wrote. A McDonald’s spokesperson in a statement said the company was pleased that most of the claims had been dismissed. “The evidence will show the remaining claims against McDonald’s USA are without merit,” the spokesperson said. McDonald’s has faced several high-profile lawsuits in recent years alleging intentional discrimination against Black employees, franchisees and business partners. In 2022, a different federal judge in Chicago dismissed a lawsuit by more than 50 McDonald’s franchisees claiming the company had steered Black franchisees toward less profitable locations, while granting leave to amend. McDonald’s motion to dismiss an amended complaint is pending. The company last year settled a $10 billion lawsuit by media entrepreneur Byron Allen accusing the fast-food chain of excluding Black-owned media from much of its advertising budget. The terms were not disclosed but McDonald’s said it would involve buying ads from Allen’s companies. McDonald’s last year also settled on undisclosed terms with a Black former security executive who claimed he was pushed out after criticizing CEO Chris Kempczinski over text messages appearing to blame the parents of a girl shot in a McDonald’s drive-thru for her death. Mr. Kempczinski later publicly apologized and said the texts “reveal my narrow worldview that I have to work hard to correct.” Last year, the company rolled back some of its diversity policies, including goals for corporate leadership, citing a “shifting legal landscape” as President Donald Trump took office and moved to eradicate DEI practices in government and the private sector. Trump administration officials have suggested that some common workplace diversity initiatives are unlawful, and many other major companies have retreated from DEI programs in response. The plaintiffs in Wednesday’s case both had received various promotions throughout their time at McDonald’s and ultimately became vice presidents of “Quality, Service, and Cleanliness,” according to court filings. They claim in the lawsuit that they were both passed over for a different vice president role in 2017 and then demoted to the role of “operations officers” during a restructuring the following year. They also allege that after filing the lawsuit, Ms. Neal was fired and Ms. Guster-Hines was forced to retire. McDonald’s in court filings has denied wrongdoing and said Ms. Neal was fired over her treatment of coworkers and creating a toxic workplace. Related News Winklevosses’ Gemini Space Station sued by shareholders March 19, 2026 Comp exclusivity doesn’t bar ‘take-home’ asbestos claims: Kentucky court March 19, 2026 Best downgrades captive, withdraws rating March 19, 2026 Texas appeals court upholds $4.5 million sawmill injury verdict March 19, 2026 Bill targets workplace monitoring, expands health, safety oversight March 19, 2026 Liberty Mutual names underwriting president of Global Risk Solutions March 19, 2026 BMG signals Anthropic copyright fight won’t fade away March 19, 2026 China fuel export ban to hit Asia supply March 19, 2026 HDI Global to expand cyber insurance offerings in Japan March 19, 2026 Facebook-f X-twitter Linkedin-in Business Insurance is a singular, authoritative news and information source for executives focused upon risk management, risk transfer and risk financing. Never miss important news: Become a Business Insurance Online subscriber today Subscribe Now Information About Us Contact Advertise Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Copyright 2026. BUSINESS INSURANCE HOLDINGS Member, Beacon International Group, Ltd.
Metadata (JSON)
{
"score": 16.816666666666666
}