The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) highlighted a U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California decision ruling that Grimmway Farms engaged in a pattern or practice of disability discrimination against farmworkers. The ruling comes after CRD filed a lawsuit against the farm in 2021. As a result of the decision, the case can now move forward to trial on potential monetary damages and other forms of relief for affected workers.
© Grimmway Farms
In 2021, CRD filed a lawsuit against the company for alleged disability discrimination against farmworkers who suffered injuries or illnesses that affected their ability to work. According to the lawsuit, the company for years automatically funneled workers with job-related and other disabilities into taking unpaid leave, making little to no effort to find alternatives such as providing assistive aids or different work assignments. While some employees were able to use workers' compensation benefits, as soon as those benefits expired, the lawsuit indicates they had to choose between unpaid leave or getting back to work without accommodations. As a result, allegedly hundreds of workers were deprived of their rights and many were effectively terminated.
"This matter is the only remaining part of a long-standing dispute between Grimmway Farms and the California Civil Rights Division (CRD) dating back to 2018. This week's ruling follows motions brought by both Grimmway and the CRD in early 2025," said a Grimmway spokesperson. "We firmly disagree with CRD's characterizations of the court's pre-trial decisions, noting that many of the motions were resolved in Grimmway's favor. The allegations do not reflect the principles or values that guide our company, and we will respectfully see the matter through trial and the proper legal process. Because this remains ongoing litigation, we will not be offering further comment at this time."
For more information:
Grimmway Farms
Tel: +1 (800) 301-3101
https://www.grimmway.com/