Since its launch in 1978, Ben & Jerry's ice cream has always been known for its left-leaning politics, but nobody — including good-humored Republicans (who love their pints of Cherry Garcia, just like the rest of us) — seemed to mind.
That is, until its parent company Unilever fired CEO David Stever — who joined the company in 1988 — on March 3, allegedly over of the company's political posts, according to a new lawsuit by Ben & Jerry's.
The allegation was made in an amended filing Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Ben & Jerry's initially filed a lawsuit in November accusing Unilever of silencing its public statements in support of Palestinian refugees amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
According to the amended complaint, Ben & Jerry's CEO David Stever was fired on March 3 after the parent company repeatedly threatened personnel "should they fail to comply with Unilever's efforts to silence the Social Mission."
Stever was chastised by Unilever for repeatedly acquiescing to the board "by allowing Ben & Jerry's to post statements the Independent Board had collaboratively worked on with Ben & Jerry's management," the suit says.
Replacing Stever for working with the board to promote its social causes "is antithetical to its contractual obligations," the suit says.
And from 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.
It's the latest escalation of an increasingly ugly dispute between the brand and its conglomerate owner that began in 2021.
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. …
Stever, who's been with the ice cream brand since 1988 and started as a tour guide, was appointed CEO in May 2023. It's unclear what position he currently holds with the company.
According to the lawsuit, it was Stever's "commitment to Ben & Jerry's Social Mission and Essential Brand Integrity … rather than any genuine concerns regarding his performance history," that got him fired. So much for its slogan, "Peace, Love and Ice Cream."
Previously: Peek inside the two Ben & Jerry's ice cream factories that churn out nearly 1M pints a day
