Hillshire Brands to pay $4 million to settle race discrimination claims

Hillshire Brands will pay $4 million to settle federal claims that black employees at a Paris food plant were exposed to dangerous work conditions and subjected to discrimination and a hostile work environment.

As part of a consent decree in the case, a Hillshire Brands poultry plant in Haltom City will be among three plants under federal oversight for two years to ensure that steps are taken to train and advise employees about anti-discrimination policies.

The settlement will be paid to a group of 74 African-American former employees of a Sara Lee baking plant in Paris who were subjected to racist graffiti on bathroom walls and racial slurs from supervisers, according to a statement from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Some of the former workers gathered Tuesday for a news conference in Dallas to highlight the settlement approved last week by a federal judge.

The EEOC also found that black workers were steered disproportately to jobs that exposed them to asbestos, black mold and other toxins. It also found that they were denied oppportunities for promotion.

Sara Lee closed the Paris plant in 2011 and the company was absorbed by Hillshire Brands, which in turn was bought by Tyson Foods.

A Tyson spokesman says the company is committed to treating workers with dignity and respect.

This story was originally published December 22, 2015 at 3:22 PM with the headline "Hillshire Brands to pay $4 million to settle race discrimination claims."