Date: 10-26-2007

Case Style: Scarlet Reyna and Maria Ortega v. ConAgra Poultry Co. and Pilgrim's Pride

Case Number: 3:04-cv-00039-CDL

Judge: Clay D. Land

Court: United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia (Clarke County)

Plaintiff's Attorney:

John Beasley, Buckley & Klein, LLP, Athens, Georgia and Jane Hill, Athens, Georgia

Defendant's Attorney:

Christopher Lauderdale and Ellison McCoy, Jackson Lewis, Greenville, South Carolina

Description:

Scarlet Reyna and Maria Ortega sued ConAgra Poultry Co. and Pilgrim's Pride for wrongful termination claiming that they were fired after they reported as required by Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 that the human resources manager's assistant had made a fake Social Security card for an illegal immigrant who worked a side job for the plant's general manager. They also reported that the manager's assistant also authorized falsified insurance coverage so another employee could claim his sister and nephew - also illegal immigrants - as dependents on his health plan. Plaintiffs worked in the human resources department of the poultry plant in northern Clarke County. Plaintiff also claimed that they were ordered not to socialize with other Hispanics both on and off the job. They claimed that company policy required them to report illegals working at the plant.

The defenses asserted by defendants are not available.

Outcome: Plaintiff's verdict for $415,000.

Plaintiff's Experts: Unknown

Defendant's Experts: Unknown

Comments: None