McDonald's to Address Harassment, Retaliation Claims by Black Former Executives

• The judge allowed harassment claims to proceed based on a regional president's alleged comments about 'Black woman attitude' and 'angry Black women,' citing significant harm from such epithets when made by supervisors
• Promotion discrimination claims were dismissed as plaintiffs failed to show they were the best candidates for the role, though both had been vice presidents overseeing Quality, Service, and Cleanliness
• McDonald's faces multiple high-profile race bias cases, including lawsuits from Black franchisees over less profitable locations and a 2023 settlement with media entrepreneur Byron Allen over advertising exclusion

McDonald's Discrimination Lawsuit Partially Advances in Federal Court

A Chicago federal judge ruled Wednesday that two former Black female McDonald's executives can proceed with harassment and retaliation claims against the fast-food giant, while dismissing their promotion discrimination allegations.

Key Details:

U.S. District Judge Mary Rowland allowed Victoria Guster-Hines and Domineca Neal to advance claims stemming from their 2020 lawsuit, which alleged they were subjected to racial slurs including "Black woman attitude" and "angry Black women" by a regional president. The judge noted such epithets carry "significant harm," particularly when made by supervisors.

However, Rowland dismissed claims that McDonald's discriminated by passing them over for promotions, ruling the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate they were the best candidates for the position.

Both women had served as vice presidents of "Quality, Service, and Cleanliness" before allegedly being passed over for different VP roles in 2017 and demoted to operations officers in 2018. Following the lawsuit, Neal was reportedly fired and Guster-Hines forced into retirement. McDonald's denies wrongdoing and claims Neal was terminated for creating a toxic workplace.

Broader Context:

McDonald's faces mounting racial discrimination litigation. Recent cases include:

• 2022 lawsuit by 50+ Black franchisees alleging assignment to less profitable locations
• 2023 settlement with media entrepreneur Byron Allen over excluding Black-owned media from advertising budgets
• Settlement with a former executive who criticized CEO Chris Kempczinski over text messages regarding a shooting victim

The company recently eliminated diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goals amid the "shifting legal landscape" under the Trump administration, joining numerous corporations scaling back DEI initiatives.

The case proceeds as *Guster-Hines v. McDonald's USA* in the Northern District of Illinois.