Two Former McDonald’s VPs Receive Approval From Judge To Move Forward With Claims Of Hostile Work Environment – AfroTech

A judge has partially approved claims brought forward by Black former McDonald’s executives.

According to a court document, former vice presidents of the fast-food giant Victoria Guster-Hines and Domineca Neal filed a lawsuit against McDonald’s USA, LLC; McDonald’s Corp.; Steven Easterbrook; Christopher Kempczinski; and Charles Strong, alleging employment-based discrimination.

Guster-Hines spent 32 years at McDonald’s and was promoted about 15 times. This includes a 2013 promotion to quality, service, and cleanliness vice president (QSC-VP). Five years later, she began working at the company’s Dallas Field Office as an operations officer after corporate restructuring plans, which were called “Field First Restructure,” according to the document.

As it relates to Neal, she has worked at the company since 2012. After five years, she was appointed QSC-VP and also transitioned to the Dallas Field Office as an operations officer during corporate restructuring.

The court document noted that under the plans vice president-general management (VP GM) and QSC-VP were replaced by new positions titled field vice president (FVP) and operations officer, respectively. Through this new structure, each field office was to have only one FVP, which would result in demotions and departures. There were 21 QSC-VPs at the company during the restructuring efforts; most were not Black and were presented with the option to work in the operations office or leave the company and receive a severance package. Guster-Hines and Neal both moved into operations roles.

After the transition, Guster-Hines made claims of harassment and discrimination and was allegedly placed on mutually agreed-upon paid leave before resigning on Oct. 31, 2021. Neal also claims there was a mutual decision for her to be placed on paid leave. Neal was allegedly investigated by a third-party hired by McDonald’s to look into her workplace conduct, and she was terminated on Feb. 28, 2020.

In separate conversations the two women were allegedly asked why they were “angry Black women,” before and during restructuring by Charles Strong, who was president of McDonald’s USA West Zone from 2018 through 2020, before being appointed to chief field officer in January 2020. He retired two months later, the court documents showed.

Guster-Hines testified that on March 18, 2018, Strong referenced several Black women employees at McDonald’s USA, including Neal, and asked why they were “angry Black women.” Guster-Hines said Strong repeated the question in a meeting held the following day.

That same month, Strong allegedly told Neal, “you don’t need any of that Black woman attitude. They are angry,” when referring to two Black female executives considered benchmarks for career advancement, according to the court document.

Strong denies the incident, per the document. In 2019, Guster-Hines claims she told Neal about Strong’s “angry Black women” statement.

U.S. District Judge Mary Rowland has dismissed claims that Guster-Hines and Neal were discriminated against when they were not considered for a promotion, Reuters reports. However, she did rule that claims around the commentary from the regional president speaking down on “Black woman attitude” and the mention of “angry Black women” validated the hostile work environment allegations and that the case could proceed.

“Courts confronted with accusations regarding ‘angry Black ⁠women’ have noted that this epithet carries significant harm with it,” particularly when coming from a supervisor, Rowland wrote, according to the outlet.

A McDonald’s spokesperson claims the company is satisfied that the majority of claims were dismissed, per Reuters.

“The evidence will show the remaining claims against McDonald’s USA are ​without merit,” the spokesperson told the outlet.