Workers Plan to Protest Michigan Brewery After Racial Discrimination Suit

 

Workers with the Michigan-based Founders Brewing Company reportedly plan to protest against their employer in the coming days in response to a racial discrimination lawsuit filed against the business.

Tracy Evans, a former manager at Founders’ Detroit taproom, alleged in a federal lawsuit filed against the company that co-workers frequently used racial slurs and promoted an “overtly racist culture.”

Backlash against the company intensified this week after general manager Dominic Ryan refused to acknowledge that Evans is black in a deposition leaked to the media. A transcript of the deposition begins with Evans’ attorney, Jack Schulz, asking Ryan if he’s “aware that Tracy is black.”

“What do you mean by that?” Ryan replied as the following conversation ensued, according to Michigan Live.

Schulz: “Were you aware that Tracy is African American?”

Ryan: “I’m not sure of his lineage, so I can’t answer that.”

Schulz: “All right. Are you aware Tracy’s a man of color?”

Ryan: “What do you mean by that?”

Schulz: “Do you know what a white person is versus a black person?”

Ryan: “Can you clarify that for me?”

Schulz: “No. Do you know—you don’t know what it means for someone to be a white person or a black person?”

Ryan: “I’m asking for clarification.”

Schulz: “You don’t need any, I can promise you that. We’ll keep the record as is. Someone’s skin color, a white – ”

Ryan: “So that’s what you’re referring to?”

Schulz: “Yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah.”

Ryan: “Ok. Yes, I know the difference in skin tone.”

Schulz: “Are you able to identify individuals by their skin color?”

Ryan: “What do you mean identify?”

Schulz: “I mean that have you ever looked at Tracy Evans in your entire life? Have you? That’s a – that’s a genuine question.”

Patrick Edsenga, an attorney for Founders, told a reporter “the fact that Mr. Evans is selectively leaking this type of information to you indicates that, unlike Founders, he has no evidence to support his position in this case.”

“Founders looks forward to its day in court, and, now that discovery has closed, it is more confident than ever that it will prevail,” Edsenga added.

As a result of the lawsuit, Founders announced that it won’t participate in the Detroit Fall Beer Fest, The Detroit Free Press reported. The brewery also announced Friday on Facebook that it will be closing its Detroit taproom “until further notice.”

“All of our Detroit employees will be paid during this time, including those who have said via social media that they plan to protest during this closure to call attention to concerns,” Founders said. “We have committed to working closely with our employees to make any changes to the company that need to be made to ensure a positive future. Those conversations are underway.”

Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers, co-founders of the company, released a letter to their customers on Friday.

“First and foremost, we apologize to our more than 600 employees – who work hard every day to make and serve some of the best beer in the world – for all of the negative attention,” they said. “Because of the pending litigation that has received so much attention of late, we can’t talk any more specifically about the lawsuit that has been in the news. But we want to tell our customers in Detroit, in Michigan and around the country that seeing the integrity and value system of Founders being questioned is one of the hardest things we have ever experienced. We had been advised not to talk about any of this, even as allegations have been cast in our direction. But we realize we need to talk about this now. Whatever falls short – according to our culture bringing people together and standards – will be fixed.”

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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News, The Ohio Star, and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Founders Taproom” by Founders Taproom.