A prominent civil rights attorney has filed a discrimination suit against State Farm on behalf of a former employee.
Ben Crump has figured in several recent high-profile legal cases. He represented the families of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery. Crump also represents Carmen Bolden Day, the mother of Jelani Day.
The Washington, D.C.-based attorney is now working on behalf of Carla Campbell-Jackson. The former State Farm claims section manager claims the company retaliated against her for reporting “racist and discriminatory behavior.”
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in February issued a determination of reasonable cause for Campbell-Jackson’s claims. The EEOC later proposed a $474,000 conciliation agreement that State Farm turned down.
Campbell-Jackson filed the allegation in May 2016. At the time, she worked for State Farm in Michigan.
Campbell-Jackson currently serves as the vice president of the Bloomington-Normal chapter of the NAACP. She announced the lawsuit Thursday at a press conference alongside NAACP Chapter President Linda Foster and State President Teresa Haley.
Campbell-Jackson directed some of her remarks towards two of State Farm’s most recognizable spokespeople: “Jake from State Farm,” who is portrayed by actor Kevin Miles, and NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“Based on my experiences, State Farm is not a good neighbor to people who look like you and me,” she said.
In an emailed statement, State Farm said the company "embraces diversity and inclusion because it is simply the right thing to do. We seek candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences and do not tolerate or condone discrimination of any kind. Racism has no place anywhere in our society and we work tirelessly to provide an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued. We strive to be a force for good in the communities we serve."
In the news conference Campbell-Jackson said that in 2016 she was escorted from the building by two armed guards. In its statement, State Farm responded:
"Ms. Carla Campbell-Jackson was terminated from State Farm because she shared sensitive, confidential personal customer and employee information outside of our organization; a clear policy and code of conduct violation by a management level employee. After becoming aware of the situation, State Farm took quick action to follow breach protocols and to secure the sensitive information."
The company expressed admiration for attorney Crump's "important civil rights work" but said it disagreed with the facts Campbell-Jackson is presenting.
"It's important to note that the EEOC chose not to litigate this matter on behalf of Campbell-Jackson," said State Farm.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had found that there was "reasonable cause" for Campbell-Jackson's filing with the government and could have filed its own lawsuit, though the agency does not always do so.
The EEOC proposed a conciliation agreement that would have given Campbell-Jackson $474,000 in back pay and required State Farm to make some changes. The company rejected that agreement in June.
"We believe these allegations are without merit," said State Farm on Thursday. "In our defense ... we will provide important facts that Campbell-Jackson has failed to present."
