Former Ford Employee's Lawsuit for Disturbing Sexual Harassment is Finally Heading to Trial

by Chris Teague

Published: August 10th, 2023

former ford employee s lawsuit for disturbing sexual harassment is finally heading to

Ford is now four years deep into an alarming lawsuit that highlights alleged sexual harassment and what the plaintiff described as a very hostile workplace. The Detroit News reported that DeAnna Johnson filed the suit over her experience working at Ford’s Dearborn Truck plant, and the details are disturbing, to say the least.

Johnson described behavior and experiences that, if true, paint a very ugly picture for Ford. She alleged that her boss called her a “chocolate Jolly Rancher” and said he wanted to perform sex acts on her. Another supervisor slept with subordinates and asked for nude photos. In addition to the awful sexual harassment, Johnson said she was the target of racial slurs and was ignored when she raised concerns.

Johnson was diagnosed with PTSD after her experience working in Dearborn, and her lawyer said she may have difficulty returning to the workforce after what she went through. Ford also cut her pay, “leaving her in severe financial hardship.”

Ford suspended and ultimately fired her supervisor, but the automaker’s lawyers have been working hard to discredit Johnson. One of the company’s attorneys called out Johnson’s prior music career as a rapper, saying she was “no shrinking violet” because of her lyrics that described sex acts.

The automaker’s lawyers also called out the fact that Johson lied on her resume and job application. Since the case relies entirely on her testimony, the lies don’t help her credibility on the witness stand. The case will finally go to trial on September 14 in Detroit, ending the years-long drama for the 58-year-old Johnson and one of America’s most prominent automakers.

[Image: Matthew G Eddy via Shutterstock]

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Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

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2 of 19 comments

The Oracle on Aug 10, 2023

Ford and Farley are a hot mess.

2 Reply
RedDevil on Aug 11, 2023

Could it be that both the worker and the supervisor should never have been employed by Ford ? Perhaps lower hiring
standards for potential employees leads to situations like this ?

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