Interim manager sues Adient US over racial hair harassment, forced exit

The pattern described in the filing should give HR leaders pause. Adient placed Walker in the interim Quality Manager role on two separate occasions, once for six months and again for eight months. She alleges she also trained two people who went on to hold the position: Jennifer Winfree in 2020 and Jacob Dean in 2021. Yet the permanent title never came her way. 

Dean, a white male whom Walker identifies as her main harasser, later selected Joey Hickey as the new Quality Manager on August 12, 2022, even though Hickey allegedly lacked the required certifications for the role. Dean also promoted Destany McLin to Quality Engineer that year, again allegedly without the necessary qualifications. The filing adds that all three employees degraded women by using derogatory language in the workplace. 

Then there is the hair incident. Around September 2022, Walker alleges Dean told her he had left something hanging on a bulletin board near the production floor. When she looked, she found a piece of dirty, matted hair extensions hung on the board. Dean then allegedly asked whether the “Nappy” hair weave was hers. Walker says she was forced to change her hairstyle to prevent any further harassment. 

What may concern HR professionals most is what followed. The filing states Walker had complained on numerous occasions about harassment based on her race, age, and sex, including filing an official complaint with Terri Sharp, Adient Columbia’s HR Manager, in early July 2022. Walker alleges the retaliation only intensified from there. The company took her keys, phone, and computer, effectively forcing her out. 

Walker is seeking more than $100,000 in damages, reinstatement with full backpay, and promotion to Quality Control Manager or a similar pay schedule.