Ben & Jerry’s says its CEO was fired for the company’s political posts
CNN
Ben & Jerry’s is accusing its parent company Unilever of breaching its merger agreement by ousting the ice cream company’s CEO for the brand’s repeated public comments on progressive issues, removing its chief executive without the board’s approval.
Ben & Jerry’s is accusing its parent company Unilever of breaching its merger agreement by ousting the ice cream company’s CEO for the brand’s repeated public comments on progressive issues, removing its chief executive without the board’s approval. It’s the latest escalation of an increasingly ugly dispute between the brand and its conglomerate owner that began in 2021. In an amended complaint filed Tuesday in New York, lawyers for the ice cream brand said that rules stemming from its 2000 merger “protects Ben & Jerry’s interests by precluding the unilateral removal of its CEO,” but Unilever did just that — “removing and replacing” CEO David Stever by not following the proper protocols and said it was because of the brand’s continued comments on progressive issues. The lawsuit said that Unilever’s motive for the removal of Stever was due to his “commitment to Ben & Jerry’s Social Mission and Essential Brand Integrity … rather than any genuine concerns regarding his performance history.” Unilever (UL) didn’t immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment. The UK company announced in March 2024 it was looking to sell Ben & Jerry’s and its other ice cream brands but it has not yet completed a deal. Tuesday’s complaint is the latest in a string of them against Unilever for attempting to silence the ice cream brand on social media. In January, the company alleged that Unilever “unilaterally barred” from a post referencing abortion, climate change and universal healthcare because it mentioned President Donald Trump.
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