Earlier this week, an amended wrongful death lawsuit filed on behalf of a Tyson Foods employee at a Waterloo, Iowa, pork processing plant employee who died from COVID-19 detailed improper behavior by plant managers. Allegations included that management placed bets on the number of employees who would test positive for COVID-19, downplayed the severity of the pandemic and failed to provide the necessary protective equipment.

Tyson Foods has issued the following statement, attributed to CEO Dean Banks: “We are extremely upset about the accusations involving some of the leadership at our Waterloo plant. Tyson Foods is a family company with 139,000 team members and these allegations do not represent who we are, or our Core Values and Team Behaviors. We expect every team member at Tyson Foods to operate with the utmost integrity and care in everything we do. We have suspended, without pay, the individuals allegedly involved and have retained the law firm Covington & Burling LLP to conduct an independent investigation led by former Attorney General Eric Holder. If these claims are confirmed, we’ll take all measures necessary to root out and remove this disturbing behavior from our company.

“Our top priority is and remains the health and safety of our team members. We’ve invested hundreds of millions of dollars to transform our U.S. facilities, including the Waterloo plant, with protective measures, from walk-through temperature scanners and workstation dividers to social distance monitors and always-on testing,” Banks added. 

Source: Tyson Foods Inc.