*Amid their successful collaborations with Travis Scott and Latin star J Balvin, McDonald’s is denying cover up allegations while they face two major racial discrimination lawsuits filed against them by current and former Black employees and franchise owners.
Per The Washington Post, one lawsuit, filed by two former executives in January 2020, claim the chain “conducted a ruthless purge” of its Black leaders and fostered a “hostile and abusive work environment” for Black executives and franchise owners.
A second lawsuit, filed in September and comprised of 52 Black franchise owners, claims they were subjected to “systematic and covert racial discrimination” since the 1980s.
Meanwhile, two race historians, Marcia Chatelain and Chin Jou, are claiming the company “should be in the doghouse when it comes to African Americans right now.”
However, in a response to XXL, a rep says, “Any claim that McDonald’s collaboration with Travis Scott was launched in response to recent litigation is completely false. We teamed up with Travis—and our newest celebrity partner, J Balvin—because of their love for the McDonald’s brand, their widespread appeal and their loyal following among our younger customers and our crew.”