According to Philadelphia magazine, the Whole Foods Market in Plymouth Meeting is facing its second racial discrimination lawsuit from a former employee. A 2019 lawsuit was filed by a former manager, Jaleel McFadden, and this month a lawsuit was initiated by Michelle Brown, a former cashier.

The latest lawsuit accuses the store’s management of being hostile when Brown asked management to address racism within the store involving both employees and customers.

From Philadelphia:

According to Brown’s suit, the vast majority of customers were white and all members of the back-of-house staff and management were white, with the lone exception of Jaleel McFadden — he’s the manager who filed that 2019 lawsuit — who is Black.

Brown claims that while she was working there, some white customers were verbally abusive to her and other workers of color, some allegedly using racial epithets against the employees. The suit also claims that some white customers refused to allow Black cashiers to touch their money, credit cards and groceries and that some would baselessly accuse Black employees of providing substandard customer service or not smiling enough.

This racially hostile treatment from white customers also extended to some Black customers, claims the suit.

Brown was eventually fired and Whole Foods Market contested her receiving unemployment. Brown successfully appealed that decision.

You can read the full article here.

Photo: Google Earth