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 radical discriminatory 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 discriminatory employment targets.
This “aggressive set of goals” includes:
- “By 2030, increase the racial diversity of our leadership team by promoting and hiring qualified Black, Hispanic and other underrepresented individuals to positions of supervisor and above in support of our current goal of 30% representation.”
- “By 2030, increase the gender diversity of our leadership team by promoting and hiring qualified female leaders to positions of supervisor and above in support of our current goal of 35% representation.”
- “Increase promotion rate of graduates from our diversity pipeline programs to 45% by 2030.”
- “Increase production facility spending with minority-owned businesses by 14% to achieve a more inclusive supply chain by 2025.”
These discriminatory goals are surely 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 discriminatory goals, it will have discriminated against thousands of workers and potential workers – and it admits it is already doing so.
Smithfield also has committed half a million dollars to opportunities and resources available exclusively to minority students.
Smithfield even boasts that it has committed $10 million to support “minority farmers” which clearly unlawfully provides contracts and benefits based on race by targeting “Black and other minority farmers.” AFL took on the Biden Administration—and won— when it offered a debt relief program for farmers based solely on the color of their skin.
Doing business in the United States is a privilege that domestic and foreign-owned companies continue to abuse by discriminating on the basis of race and sex. AFL will continue to fight discrimination in all its forms by standing up for Americans and the rule of law.
Statement from Gene Hamilton, America First Legal Executive Director, Executive Vice President, and General Counsel:
“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.
Read the EEOC letter here and the letter to the VA Attorney General here.
Follow us on social media for the latest updates on America First Legal’s fight to protect your constitutional rights!
X, Facebook, GETTR, Instagram, Truth Social
For press inquiries, please contact [email protected]
Photo credit: Adobe Stock Images / lightpoet
