Class Action Lawsuit Claims NutraBlend Fired Burmese Refugees Over Inability to Speak English

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Three plaintiffs have put their names on a proposed class action lawsuit in which they accuse their ex-employers, NutraBlend Foods Inc., NutraBlend Foods, LLC, and staffing agency Aerotek, Inc., of terminating their employment based on their nation of origin.

The plaintiffs, Burmese refugees, were hired in May 2016 as production workers at NutraBlend’s Lancaster, New York location, the case says. According to the lawsuit, the workers spoke only Burmese and received instruction from a bi-lingual employee, allowing them “to perform their jobs as production workers competently.” In late March 2017, the case continues, the plaintiffs were reportedly terminated without explanation despite never having received any feedback regarding their job performance.

The suit alleges that prior to the plaintiffs’ termination, a NutraBlend employee requested a list of all non-English speaking production workers. After the list was compiled, NutraBlend allegedly directed Aerotek to terminate all non-English speakers of Burmese national origin.

“Upon information and belief,” the complaint reads, “there is a policy and procedure in place with the NutraBlend Defendants to terminate employees based not on their performance but on their national origin and ability to speak English.”

The plaintiffs claim the defendants’ behavior was discriminatory and violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.