LEON:..OFF THE TOP TONIGHT..
THE BACKLASH IS STILL BREWING
FOR FOUNDERS..THE DIVERSITY
AND INCLUSION DIRECTOR FOR THE
BREWING COMPANY HAS HAD
ENOUGH-- ANNOUNCING HER
RESIGNATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
IT COMES AMID CONTROVERSY
STEMMING FROM A LAWSUIT
ALLEGING RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
BY A FORMER EMPLOYEE-
3
LEON:..NEWS 8'S JACQUELINE
FRANCIS IS IN STUDIO WITH
TONIGHT'S REPORT.
3
JACQUELINE:..DIRECTOR OF
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION GRACI
HARKEMA ISN'T LEAVING QUIETLY
THIS HERE IS A COPY OF HER
RESIGNATION LETTER--SLAMMING
THE COMPANY'S LEADERSHIP FOR
HOW THEY'VE HANDLED THE
LAWSUIT -- NOT TAKING HER
ADVICE.AND WHILE THIS IS THE
LAST STRAW FOR MANY FOUNDERS
FANS... ONE LOCAL BEER MAN
ISN'T DUMPING HIS CUP JUST YET.
3
3
3
"TO INCLUDE NON DISCRIMINATION
FOR LGBTQ..."THIS IS GRACI
HARKEMA-- THE OUTGOING
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
DIRECTOR AT FOUNDERS BREWING
COMPANY.SHE WAS HIRED IN
JANUARY-- SHORTLY AFTER FORMER
MANAGER TRACY EVANS FILED A
RACIAL DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT
AGAINST THE
COMPANY.(ANY RANDOM COUPLE OF
WORDS FROM TRACY IN JUNE
INTERVIEW)NEWS 8 LAST SPOKE TO
GRACI IN JUNE-- A FEW MONTHS
LATER SHE'D MAKE HER
FRUSTRATIONS WITH THE COMPANY
PUBLIC..ON FRIDAY -- GRACI
POSTED HER RESIGNATION LETTER
TO SOCIAL MEDIA.. IN THE
LETTER- SHE CALLS OUT FOUNDERS
LEADERSHIP TEAM FOR IGNORING
HER INPUTWRITING
QUOTE.."YOU ACTIONS HAVE
EXPLICITLY SHOWN YOU ARE MORE
INTERESTED IN THE OPTICS OF MY
FACE THAN THE IMPACT OF MY
VOICE."SHE THEN ACCUSES THE
COMPANY OF BEING MORE
CONCERNED WITH WINNING THE
LAWSUIT THAN WITH THE WELL
BEING OF ITS REPUTATION AND
ITS EMPLOYEES.THE ONGOING
CONTROVERSY HAS FOUNDERS FANS
FLEETING-- ESPECIALLY IN THE
DETROIT AREA WHERE THE SUIT
WAS FILED.BUT HERE IN WEST
MICHIGAN--SOME PATRONS ARE
HOLDING OFF SOME PATRONS ARE
HOLDING OFF ON THE HATE -
WAITING TO SEE HOW THE LAWSUIT
PLAYS
OUT
3
AT THIS POINT, PEOPLE SHOULD
AT THIS POINT, PEOPLE SHOULD
REALLY JUST SIT BACK AND RELAX
AND LET THE WHEELS OF JUSTICE
DO THEIR THING AS UGLY AS IT
LOOKS WITH SOMETHING THAT MAY
COME OUT, BUT WAIT FOR THE
DUST TO SETTLE AND THEN FORM
YOUR OPINION FROM THERE.JEFF
MOX HELPS RUN ONE OF THE
AREA'S MOST POPULAR FACEBOOK
GROUPS FOR BEER LOVERS --WEST
MICHIGAN CRAFT BEER
ENTHUSIASTS HE SAYS THE GROUP
SEEMS TO BE SPLIT ON THE
CONTROVERSY--BUT IF YOU ASK
HIM-- AS A PATRON HE FEELS
FOUNDERS IS A WELCOMING PLACE-
- WHERE DIVERSITY IS ALL
AROUND
3
3
IT'S NOT THAT YOU SIT THERE
AND SEEK IT OUT, BUT YOU SEE
IT JUST WALKING IN.ALL THE
YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN GOING
THERE, YOU SEE PEOPLE FROM ALL
DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS WORKING
THERE IN THE TAPROOM.
3
JACQUELINE:..JEFF MOX DID READ
THE RESIGNATION LETTER-- BUT
SAYS IT DOESN'T' CHANGE HIS
POSITION..LAST WEEK- NEWS 8
HAD THE CHANCE TO SIT DOWN
WITH ONE OF THE CO-FOUNDERS OF
THE BREWING COMPANY FOUNDERS
OF THE BREWING COMPANY ABOUT
THE LAWSUIT AND RECENT
BACKLASH.YOU'LL FIND THAT
STORY ON OUR WEBSITE, WOODTV
DOT COM.IN STUDIO, JFR, NEWS8
