General Mills faces 2nd age discrimination lawsuit

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. (KMSP) - 29 former General Mills employees are suing the Golden Valley, Minn.-based company for age discrimination, claiming they were more likely to be laid off than their younger coworkers during a recent company restructuring. The lawsuit was filed in federal court Tuesday.

All 29 former employees, ranging from 42 to 63 years old, were let go by General Mills in late 2014 or early 2015 during a round of layoffs called Project Catalyst. General Mills data shows that employees 40 or older were at least three times more likely to be terminated during Project Catalyst as employees 40 or under, according to a news release from Minneapolis-based law firm Snyder & Brandt.

This is the second lawsuit the company has faced in the last year regarding age discrimination.

A similar lawsuit filed in early 2015 claimed older employees terminated at a rate more than four times higher than younger employees during a round of mass layoffs in 2012 called Project Refuel.

General Mills said its former employees had to submit their discrimination claims individual arbitrations, but the judge rejected that argument, saying a federal statute protects older, terminated employees when they are asked to waive a right or claim, according to the news release. General Mills appealed the judge's decision and the appeal is currently pending.

READ THE STORY - Age discrimination lawsuit filed against General Mills