A federal judge in Sacramento ruled Monday that Grimmway Farms, the world’s largest carrot grower, engaged in systemic disability discrimination against hundreds of its employees by forcing them onto unpaid leave instead of providing accommodations that would have allowed them to keep working. The California Civil Rights Department, which sued the Kern County grower in 2021, hailed the summary judgment as a major victory that will allow the state to seek monetary damages for affected farmworkers and injunctive relief to ensure future workers are protected. TOP VIDEOS The video player is currently playing an ad. “The court has ruled loud and clear that forcing injured workers into unpaid leave is disability discrimination,” said Kevin Kish, director of California’s Civil Rights Department. “Here in California, farmworkers have rights, they are protected, and we will not shy away from fighting on their behalf.” In his decision, U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd concluded that Grimmway had displayed a “pattern or practice” of violating disability rights laws by sidelining employees with injuries or illnesses, often without even considering alternatives such as assistive technology, modified job duties, or reassignment. Bakersfield-based Grimmway in a statement said this ruling was one of many pre-trial decisions that Drozd has made and that others had gone in the company’s favor.
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