General Mills may be known for making Cheerios, but eight Black employees claim the company's Georgia plant has cooked up a recipe for rampant racism. The allegations are outlined in a lawsuit filed in the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta on June 2, accusing the Covington plant of maintaining a hostile work environment under White management [cnn] [cbs].

According to the lawsuit, two White managers allegedly formed a 'Good Ole Boys' network that favored White employees for promotions and issued more disciplinary actions against Black workers. It appears that manufacturing racism was more efficient than manufacturing cereal in Covington.

Furthermore, the lawsuit points to a particularly cringeworthy mural depicting Confederate leaders using General Mills mascots, which was displayed in the factory from 2005 to 2021. One has to wonder whether this was meant to inform, inspire, or merely incite indigestion [cnn].

One incident that stands out like a soggy Cheerio involves a Black employee who allegedly found 'KKK' etched into his lunchbox. He was then forced to provide a handwriting sample to prove it wasn’t him. It's unclear whether the HR department saw this as workplace integrity or a poorly written skit from a bad TV show.

Moreover, the lawsuit claims the HR department was complicit in the discriminatory practices, allegedly informing White supervisors about complaints and revealing the complainants' identities, which resulted in retaliation rather than resolution [cnn] [cbs].

Incidents of racism at the Georgia plant have allegedly been ignored by local and corporate HR for more than two decades. Claims date back to the 1990s and include a noose left on a Black employee's desk and the word 'coon' written on a work form. White employees allegedly used the N-word and other racial slurs without repercussions. It seems that every workplace drama cliché, from the dark ages of employee relations, has happened at this one plant [cnn] [cbs].

The plaintiffs are seeking a trial by jury and compensatory and punitive damages for hundreds of Black employees who were subjected to these hostile conditions. They also accuse General Mills of violating state and federal racketeering laws, hoping to bake their claims into legal precedence [cnn].

General Mills may find solace in knowing they aren't alone. Recent cases of alleged racial discrimination have led to large legal settlements for other corporations, including Equinox and Tesla. That said, comparisons between an auto manufacturer and a cereal company are as fitting as mixing Frosted Flakes with motor oil, but legal precedents are legal precedents [cbs].

The Covington plant opened in 1988, and it seems that since then, some employees have been adding unsavory ingredients to the General Mills brand. With plaintiffs seeking substantial damages, only time will tell if this lawsuit disrupts the company’s operations enough to precipitate real change or merely results in a sticky situation for their PR department [cbs].

In 2023, one would expect HR practices to have evolved past the point of "confederate murals" and "KKK lunchbox investigations," but progress is apparently a slow-cooked stew rather than an instant breakfast. For General Mills, it’s time to consider not only what’s inside the cereal box but what’s festering within the walls of their factories. As this drama unfolds, we'll see if the company can come up with a more palatable recipe for workplace equality and justice.