Worker says ADM ignored her assault report, then fired her in retaliation

The disparate treatment, she says, extended to the basics of daily work. Male colleagues could call in at-will or shut down their departments without issue, the filing states, while she was required to submit formal PTO requests and was admonished for trying to swap a national holiday for an equivalent day off. She says she routinely worked ten- to twelve-hour days, weekends, and even vacations without additional pay. 

When Medina raised concerns in a January 2022 management meeting, the lawsuit says the plant manager later pulled her aside privately and told her, “Don’t do that.” Months later, after she was blamed in front of senior leadership for a canola oil quality issue, her direct supervisor allegedly acknowledged what was happening, telling her, “I think you’ve been set up as the scapegoat.” 

Medina says she escalated the matter to a Food Safety Manager at headquarters at least ten times. On one call, the lawsuit alleges, a senior woman in the quality organization advised her to “buckle up” because “it’s a man’s world.” 

Then came what may be the most arresting allegation for HR readers. On December 20, 2023, Medina says a male coworker shoved her aggressively from the side while she reviewed log sheets in the flour department. She reported it the same day. According to the filing, no one from HR or leadership ever followed up, and the coworker remains employed at ADM. 

What followed, the lawsuit says, looked a lot like retaliation. In January 2024, ADM reassigned Medina to report directly to the very plant manager she had complained about. A favorable performance review and salary bump arrived in March. Weeks later, she was placed on a Colleague Improvement Plan with no prior notice and no documented performance issues. She was terminated on July 19, 2024.