In a ruling with significant implications, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia has denied General Mills’ attempt to dismiss the race discrimination and retaliation claims of longtime employee Conrad James.

Judge Steve C. Jones found that James presented sufficient circumstantial evidence — a “convincing mosaic” of suspicious timing, policy violations, inconsistent explanations, and disparate treatment — to warrant a jury trial. The Court stressed that credibility disputes and conflicting evidence must be resolved by a jury, not at summary judgment.

The case, James v. General Mills Operations, LLC, is the first of dozens of lawsuits tied to what plaintiffs describe as a racially hostile work culture at the company’s Covington, Georgia plant. Plaintiffs allege that this culture was perpetuated by the so-called “Good Ole Boys,” a network of white managers and HR officials. Verified examples of racism include white supremacist iconography, racial slurs, and nooses displayed in the workplace.

"This order in Conrad’s case is the first crack in the dam," said Douglas Dean, an attorney for the Plaintiff. "The other plaintiffs and class action will test whether General Mills’ systemic pattern and practice of race discrimination and retaliation can withstand full judicial scrutiny.”

Linda Carpenter, whose firm, the Brosnahan Law Firm, has been serving as co-counsel, added: “Ultimately, the Court ruled that there is sufficient evidence for a jury to determine whether General Mills should be held liable for racial discrimination. This order is just the first step in the fight by General Mills’ African American employees to hold the company accountable.”

Connection to Pending Class Action

James’ case foreshadows a later-filed class action lawsuit in the same federal court, Davis et al. v. General Mills Operations, LLC, Case No. 1:24-cv-02409. That complaint alleges a decades-long pattern and practice of race discrimination, hostile work environment, and retaliation affecting scores of Black employees. Alongside more than a dozen related cases, it asserts that management and HR at the Covington facility — with support from corporate leadership in Minnesota — entrenched favoritism for white employees, systematically harming Black employees who dedicated entire careers to the company.

Together, the James ruling and class action litigation chart a broader course: holding General Mills accountable not only for individual acts of discrimination but also for an institutionalized pattern of racial bias that plaintiffs allege has persisted for more than 30 years. Plaintiffs argue that General Mills knowingly allowed racist white employees to remain in authority, enabling them to harm Black workers because of their race or opposition to racism.

Next Steps

The Court has ordered mediation before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. If unresolved, the case will proceed to jury trial in Atlanta. Meanwhile, the class action and 29 related plaintiffs — encompassing claims of hostile work environment, retaliation, and systemic discrimination — continue on a parallel track.

About the Legal Team

Dean Thaxton, together with Brosnahan Law Firm as co-counsel, represents the plaintiffs in this litigation. Dean Thaxton and the Brosnahan Law Firm are premier plaintiff-side litigation firms with offices in the southeastern United States. Their attorneys fight for accountability from major corporations and have recovered millions on behalf of clients. Learn more at DeanThaxton.com and Brosnahan-Law.com.

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