Ben & Jerry’s another legal complaint against its parent company, the unilever giant, claimed that it sacked the CEO of Ben & Jerry after a confrontation on political issues.

In her last complaint, she filed late on Tuesday in a federal court in New York, Ben & Jerry claims that Unilever threatened employees who oppose her efforts to “silence the social mission.”

David Stevef was with Ben & Jerry for 34 years – as a tour guide, such as CMO, then CEO. The Vermont’s ice cream brand claimed that Stefer had not been expelled for performance reasons, but because he did not comply with Unilever standards about not talking about political issues.

Then the independent council was informed that Stever would be replaced as the CEO of Ben & Jerry on March 3, 2025.

This step hindered “the duties of the CEO, and intentionally undermined the social mission of Ben & Jerry and the brand’s integrity,” the file said.

Ben & Jerry added that Unilever’s control of its social mission had struck “new levels of persecution.”

A spokesman for Utyver said that the company followed the legal process in removing the CEO of Ben & Jerry.

“Unfortunately, despite the repeated attempts to involve the council and follow the correct process, we are disappointed that the secret of the employee’s professional conversation has been announced,” the spokesman said.

The actors at Ben & Jerry did not respond immediately luckRequest to comment.

A complex legal network

The brand of ice cream and its most older mother company have erupted and repeatedly on issues. Ben & Jerry was founded in 1978 with social reasons in her heart.

Even after Unilever Ben & Jerry’s bought in 2000, the brand was not ashamed of the presence of progressive views that moved away from the position of its mother company. Speak Against genetically modified organisms Ingredients in ice cream and support for Black Lives Matter, among other things.

The recent clashes started in 2021 when Ben & Jerry’s said He will not sell Its products in the West Bank occupied by Israel. This led to the anger of customers from Unilever, who was accused of being anti -Semitism in allowing this step.

FTSE100, which has a sales of 61 billion euros in 2024 and operates in 190 countries, suddenly found itself in a stadium that runs “leading the purpose” from Ben and Jerry’s social and political.

After a year, Bin and Jerry A lawsuit against Unilever Since her mother company plans to sell Israeli operations to Ben & Jerry’s to a local license, allowing ice cream to continue to market it in the war -torn area. The lawsuit also said that Unilever’s move would take it out 2000 acquisitions, That left Ben & Jerry on its social mission. The consumer giant sold its Israeli arm, Ben & Jerry, in 2022, and Unilever and Bin & Jerry settled.

But friction did not end there. In 2024, Ben & Jerry filed a new lawsuit against Unilever, claiming “inappropriate” when she wanted support Palestinian refugees Amid the war in Gaza. The file said that Unilever has threatened to dismantle Ben & Jerry’s board of directors and prosecute individual members if Ben & Jerry called for a ceasefire.

Unilever unacceptable This claim, on the pretext that he “will defend our condition very strongly,” according to Bloomberg.

In January, Ben & Jerry Unilever accused Repression Issuing a social policy statement because he mentioned President Donald Trump. The claims related to the overthrow of the brand executive are the latest in a set of legal complaints.

This complex struggle is completely revealed Unilever announced Last month, it plans to overcome the entire ice cream, including Magnum and Ben & Jerry’s, through a triple menu.

It is said that the founders of Ben & Jerry are considering buying ice cream Brand returnBloomberg mentioned last month. But Unilever said he was “not for sale” and would be part of the ice cream entity that will be soon.

Update, March 19, 2025: This article was updated with a comment from the Unilever.

This story was originally shown on Fortune.com

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2025-03-19 13:47:00