Barbara Brown has taken legal action against her former employer, a poultry processing company, alleging severe workplace discrimination and retaliation. On December 12, 2024, Brown filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana against DG Foods, LLC. The lawsuit accuses the company of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by subjecting her to sex-based discrimination and retaliatory practices.
The complaint narrates a troubling series of events that began with Brown's promotion to Production Supervisor at DG Foods' Bastrop plant in 2016. On November 28, 2022, an unsettling incident occurred when Assistant Plant Manager Craig (last name unknown) allegedly made inappropriate advances towards Brown. Despite her immediate rejection and report to another manager, Murrell Corps, she was advised against escalating the matter to Human Resources. Following this incident, Brown claims she faced increased scrutiny and unreasonable demands from Craig. Her work environment deteriorated further when she was transferred to a different area with more responsibilities but no additional compensation—a move she believes was retaliatory.
Brown's attempts to address these issues internally were met with dismissal and ultimately led to her termination on December 8, 2022. The stated reason for her firing—failure to follow specific product handling procedures—was deemed by Brown as pretextual. She asserts that such actions were part of a broader pattern of discriminatory practices at DG Foods, citing similar treatment experienced by other female employees who rejected sexual advances from management.
In response to these alleged violations, Barbara Brown seeks multiple forms of relief from the court. She requests back pay with interest or inflation adjustments, front pay, compensatory damages for emotional distress and other non-pecuniary losses, as well as punitive damages for malicious conduct by DG Foods. Additionally, she asks for pre-and post-judgment interest and coverage of reasonable attorney fees and costs associated with the case. Beyond monetary compensation, Brown urges the court to mandate training on sexual harassment and retaliation for DG Foods' employees and retain jurisdiction until compliance is assured.
Representing Barbara Brown are attorneys Philip Bohrer from Bohrer Brady LLC in Baton Rouge and Jay D. Ellwanger along with Brian Pounds from Ellwanger Henderson LLLP in Austin. The case is being overseen by the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana under Case ID: 1:24-cv-01728.