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Former State Farm employee sues over discrimination, retaliation

On Behalf of | Dec 24, 2021 | Employment Law

It is not unusual for Michigan workers and those elsewhere to work for the same company for decades. However, that does not mean that a person necessarily enjoyed working for that company or that the employee received the respect and treatment deserved. Unfortunately, individuals can have long careers that are filled with discrimination and other mistreatment. 

It was recently reported that a former employee of State Farm is moving forward with a lawsuit against the insurance company. The Black woman worked for the company for almost 30 years before she was fired in 2016. During her employment from 2014 to 2015, she worked with fraudulent insurance claims, and she had concerns that minority policyholders were denied claims more often than others. After bringing these concerns to the attention of management, she stated that her performance ratings decreased. 

The former employee believes that racism and retaliation played a part in her dismissal from the company. Additional details regarding the situation include the following: 

  • Representatives for State Farm stated that the company embraces diversity and does not stand for racism. 
  • The company also indicated that there was no merit to the former employee’s claims. 
  • The woman first filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which found evidence of harassment and retaliation. 

Discrimination in the workplace can cause a substantial number of problems, and as this case shows, Michigan workers could even lose their jobs as a result. Often, when such problems arise, workers often benefit from understanding their rights and determining what legal options they have for addressing the wrongdoing. Moving forward with a lawsuit may be applicable in some instances.