Allegations include noose displays, a loaded gun, and repeated reports to HR that went nowhere
Two maintenance workers say Tyson's HR was warned about racial threats and workplace violence — and did nothing.
Alvin Clark and Matthew Reeves worked together on the maintenance crew at Tyson's plant in Ringgold, Virginia. On March 16, 2026, both filed separate federal lawsuits in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, alleging they were harassed, threatened, and ultimately fired after raising concerns about racial discrimination and unsafe working conditions (Clark v. Tyson Farms, Inc. et al., No. 6:26-cv-00027; Reeves v. Tyson Farms, Inc. et al., No. 6:26-cv-00028). The cases are in their early stages, and no determination has been made on the merits.
Clark, a 62-year-old Black mechanic and the highest-ranking in his department, says he was passed over for two promotions despite being the most qualified candidate. According to the lawsuit, management told him they were "looking for someone young" and used a racial slur to tell him he would never get the job. He took and passed a skills test that, according to the filings, had never been administered for that role before. He still did not get it.
The alleged harassment went far beyond words. Court documents describe leadership-level employees displaying a noose made from a forklift strap, pulling knives in the plant, and referencing the real 1990 murder of a Black man in the same town. In one incident described in the filings, a lead employee allegedly pulled a loaded gun on Clark in Tyson's parking lot and attempted to shoot him, but the weapon jammed.
Reeves, who is white and a Born-Again Christian, says he became a target after telling coworkers to stop the racial abuse directed at Clark. According to his lawsuit, Tyson leadership called him a racial slur for associating with Clark, told him to separate from Clark because of his skin color, and subjected him to sexual threats and threats of home invasion. When Reeves cited Bible scripture to push back, a lead allegedly told him he "physically stood on a Bible."
What makes these cases especially worth watching for HR professionals is the alleged conduct of the company's own human resources team. Both lawsuits say Clark and Reeves reported the harassment directly to HR — repeatedly — and that nothing changed. When both requested a day off citing mental health strain, HR allegedly assured them there would be no retaliation. Reeves was then assessed three attendance points for that approved absence, the filings state. HR took no action to fix it, according to the lawsuits.
On March 14, 2025, both workers called Tyson's Concerns Hotline to report unsafe working conditions. Within four days, they were suspended. By March 26, both were terminated — ostensibly for leaving work briefly for lunch, something the lawsuits describe as a common, tolerated practice among other employees.
Neither Clark nor Reeves had ever been written up. Clark was told he was doing an "exceptional job." Reeves had received a raise during his employment.
Both filed complaints with the EEOC on April 22, 2025, and received right-to-sue notices on January 8, 2026. The cases demand jury trials and seek compensatory and punitive damages, back pay, reinstatement, and attorneys' fees.
