UMVA has learned that a shocking lawsuit has been filed against Walmart by a former employee, alleging a culture of sexual harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination.
The lawsuit, filed in Brooklyn federal court, claims that Shawn White, a former team lead at Walmart locations in New York, was subjected to a barrage of nude photos and sexually charged text messages from his female supervisor, Robin Ford. White alleges that Ford's advances began in 2019, with invites to her house and suggestive messages.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the situation escalated in August 2019 when Ford allegedly attempted to sexually assault White in a car, with his brother as a witness. White claims he physically resisted Ford's advances, but she continued to send him threatening messages, including one that read: "Omg why (did White) throw his hands up when I got on top of him omg I can’t lol."
The lawsuit alleges that White repeatedly rejected Ford's advances, but she became enraged, telling him she had never been "turned down by a guy." Despite White's complaints to management, he claims that he was ignored and instead received disciplinary write-ups and suspensions.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that White's situation worsened when Ford started working at the same Walmart location as him after he was promoted to team lead. The lawsuit alleges that Ford continued to harass White, filing false complaints about his performance and portraying him as a poor employee.
In a shocking turn of events, White claims that management allegedly worked on building a record to justify his firing, despite positive promotions and work evaluations. On June 9, 2023, White was fired, with management citing falsifying time records and poor job performance as reasons for his termination.
Walmart has provided a statement, saying that the company is reviewing the complaint and will "respond appropriately to the Court," adding that they "do not tolerate harassment or retaliation of any kind."
