EEOC Alleges Georgia Farmer Discriminated Against American Workers

A lawsuit accuses a South Georgia farmer of discriminating against U.S. and black workers because of their race and national origin while giving better treatment to workers from Mexico.

The suit filed last week by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission seeks compensation on behalf of ex-workers at Hamilton Growers Inc. in Norman Park. A company attorney said she could not immediately comment.
It alleges that the firm in 2009 let go the bulk of its U.S. workers but kept nearly all of its 370 workers from Mexico.

The next year, lawyers say the company terminated the majority of its 233 U.S. workers, but it kept the vast majority of its 518 workers from Mexico.
The lawsuit also says that black workers got fewer hours and were forced into less-lucrative work.