Sudanese immigrant sues Whole Foods, alleging discrimination
May 12, 2021 GMT
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) A Sudanese immigrant who had worked for Whole Foods Market in Maine for years is suing the company, alleging it discriminated against him when a manager prevented him from applying to a supervisory role.
Mark Opio, 36, requested that the Maine Human Rights Commission look into his claim that a supervisor at the Portland Whole Foods Market store canceled his interview for an assistant team leader position, the Portland Press Herald reported on Tuesday. The commission wrote in a November letter that it found there are reasonable grounds to believe Opio was discriminated against, allowing him to sue the company.
Sudanese immigrant alleges discrimination in lawsuit against Whole Foods
Mark Opio s lawsuit says he wasn t given an opportunity to apply for a supervisory position in the Portland store.
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A Sudanese immigrant is suing Whole Foods Market, alleging that a manager at the Portland store blocked him from applying for a supervisory role.
Mark Opio
Courtesy Johnson, Webbert & Garvan, LLP
Mark Opio, 36, who immigrated to Maine 20 years ago after spending nine years in a refugee camp, said the company canceled his interview for a position as assistant team leader and alleged that he was unable to read the store’s operations manual. The lawsuit says a manager also told Opio that he hadn’t done enough to “prove” himself to others in the department where he hoped to work and failed to get co-workers to “accept you as one of them.”