She and nearly a dozen other black and Muslim workers who worked in the area also received copies of an anonymous letter sent through the US Postal Service calling African American people “uneducated” and calling Muslim people “bottom of the barrel.” mentioned. When Mrs. Campbell-Jackson and the other employees reported their suspicions that the letters came from inside State Farm, the managers dismissed their concerns, according to her lawsuit.
In May 2016, State Farm fired Ms. Campbell-Jackson for sharing sensitive information outside the organization. Ms Campbell-Jackson said she simply sent an email with information about customer claims to State Farm’s managers at their request. She was offered $175,000 in layoffs on the condition that she agreed never to talk about her experiences at State Farm, court records show.
Mrs Campbell-Jackson did not take up the offer. Later that month, she filed a complaint with the EEOC, saying that State Farm violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by discriminating against her on the basis of her race.
In most cases where an employee reports racial discrimination, the EEOC gives that person a “right to sue” letter, essentially saying that it would be reasonable for the employee to file a claim in court. But last year, the EEOC sided with Ms. Campbell-Jackson, saying State Farm had discriminated against her and 10 of her colleagues, advising the insurer to pay her about $500,000 in damages and arrears. Both parties have not reached an agreement.
In a letter to State Farm, an EEOC official wrote that it appeared that Ms Campbell-Jackson “was harassed because of her race and was fired in retaliation for complaining of harassment.”
In December, she sued State Farm in federal court in Michigan, alleging discrimination, a hostile work environment and retaliation. Benjamin Crump, a civil rights attorney who has represented the families of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, two black Americans murdered by police, is part of her legal team.
The same week that Ms. Campbell-Jackson announced her lawsuit, two State Farm executives discussed her case in a video the company sent to employees.
