General Mills Faces Lawsuit Over Black History Month Retaliation Claim

A discrimination and retaliation lawsuit has put General Mills, the Minnesota-based food giant behind brands like Cheerios and Betty Crocker, under intense scrutiny. The legal action comes after a former employee, L. Lee Tyus Jr., said he was fired for standing up against what he saw as racially insensitive messaging in the workplace.

According to the lawsuit, filed by Storms Dworak LLC, Tyus objected to flyers distributed during Black History Month in February 2025. The flyers allegedly labeled some of the most painful chapters in American history, including the Tulsa Race Massacre and Black Codes, as “fun facts.” The Tulsa Race Massacre, often called the Black Wall Street Massacre, took place over 18 hours in 1921. It left an estimated 300 Black Americans dead and burned more than 1,000 Black-owned businesses and homes to the ground. Survivors and their descendants have spent decades fighting for justice and recognition.

For Tyus, the attempt to reduce such horrific violence to trivia was unacceptable. He voiced his concerns to management, and soon after, he was placed on involuntary leave. When he returned to work, Tyus gathered contact information from other employees who also felt offended by the content. He shared that information to show he wasn’t alone in his reaction. However, once copies of his document appeared in the breakroom, he says he was escorted out of the building and terminated.

This lawsuit, seeking $50,000 in damages plus legal fees, argues that General Mills violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which protects employees who report discrimination. Tyus had worked at General Mills since 2019 and, only a month before his dismissal received a performance review that described him as “on track.”

Tyus’s lawyer, Naomi Martin, emphasized that speaking up about discrimination should not cost anyone their livelihood. “Mr. Tyus did what every employee should feel safe to do: he stood up, spoke out against what he believed was discrimination, and reported it,” Martin said in a statement. “That took courage. And it’s exactly the kind of action the Minnesota Human Rights Act exists to protect.”

While General Mills declined to comment on the specifics of the case, the company stated broadly that it does not tolerate discrimination or retaliation.

The incident has raised questions about how corporations address racial equity internally and whether they create environments where employees feel safe expressing concerns. For many, the lawsuit is a reminder that acknowledging historical trauma requires sensitivity, not casual slogans. As the case moves forward, it will test how seriously one of America’s largest food companies takes its responsibility to respect and protect the dignity of its workforce.