State Farm class action alleges company discriminates against employees

State Farm discrimination class action lawsuit overview: 

• Who: Vvonaka Richardson filed a class action lawsuit against State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company. 
• Why: Richardson claims State Farm has systemic racially discriminatory policies that harm its African American employees. 
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in Illinois federal court. 

State Farm pays its African American agents “substantially less” than non-African American workers as part of its systemic racially discriminatory companywide policies, a new class action lawsuit alleges. 

Plaintiff Vvonaka Richardson claims State Farm “maintains a racially biased corporate culture replete with harmful stereotypes regarding its African American employees and customers.” 

Richardson argues State Farm’s alleged culture of racial discrimination “infects its policies and decision-making, including its racial steering and race-matching of Agents, territories and clients.” 

“State Farm maintains a corporate culture replete with harmful racial stereotypes and biased views about the skills, abilities and potential of African American employees, including Agents and customers,” the State Farm class action states. 

State Farm class action alleges company subjected African American worker to sexual, racial discrimination

State Farm subjected Richardson to racial and sexual discrimination after she challenged the company’s allegedly discriminatory policies and practices before “unlawfully terminating” her employment, the State Farm discrimination class action alleges. 

Richardson argues State Farm has no “meaningful avenue for African American Agents to complain or seek redress for disparities in opportunities and resources” and that it is “ineffective” at resolving discrimination complaints. 

“Most African Americans recognize the futility of lodging internal complaints of race discrimination. Those brave enough to come forward suffer retaliation,” the State Farm class action states. 

Richardson claims State Farm violates federal unlawful employment practices. She demands a jury trial and requests declaratory and injunctive relief along with an award of compensatory and punitive damages for herself and all class members. 

She wants to represent a nationwide class of current and former African American State Farm employees who work or worked for the company as Agents and Term Independent Contractor Agents. 

In other State Farm news, a judge granted class certification to a separate complaint filed against State Farm by a consumer arguing the company overcharged its life insurance policyholders. 

Have you been mistreated by your employer on account of your race? Let us know in the comments! 

The plaintiff is represented by Suzanne E. Bish, Linda D. Friedman, George S. Robot and Mark S. Current of Stowell & Friedman, Ltd., and Justin L. Leinenweber of Leinenweber Baroni & Daffada, LLC. 

The State Farm class action lawsuit is Richardson v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., et al., Case No. 1:22-cv-05495, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

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