Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) and its partner companies are facing a series of lawsuits alleging racial and disability discrimination, forced labor, and immigration law violations. According to court documents filed in June at the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, plaintiff Gregory Kelly, a Black man in his 40s, filed a civil lawsuit against HMMA, its suppliers, numerous subcontractors, and over 450 state, county, and city entities, claiming “systemic discrimination and widespread human rights violations.”

In the complaint, Kelly alleges that HMMA and its partners restricted employment opportunities or deliberately disadvantaged Black and immigrant job applicants. He specifically pointed to Alabama’s 2011 “Scarlet Letter Law” (HB-56/HB-658) as being misused to maintain a “blacklist” against Black and immigrant workers. Kelly claimed the law was exploited as a tool to deny employment and contracts based on arbitrary criteria like “moral turpitude” or “moral conduct.”

The plaintiff further alleged that Hyundai and its partners improperly obtained H-1B, H-2A, and TN visas to secure illegal labor and operated extensive forced and child labor practices. The complaint includes accusations of employing minors and detained people of color at low wages. Despite Alabama state law removing provisions allowing forced labor as criminal punishment in 2022, Kelly claims the practice persisted, continuing human rights violations.
The lawsuit cites legal grounds including the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The RICO allegations include claims that Hyundai’s partners bribed Alabama authorities to secure supply chains and references Hyundai’s record-breaking fine for emissions manipulation.

Kelly also claimed that after filing discrimination and organized crime complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Hyundai retaliated, asserting, “I applied multiple times for key engineer and quality control positions but faced repeated disadvantages, with the last incident on May 15.”The plaintiff seeks over $130 million in compensatory and punitive damages, covering medical expenses, emotional distress, lost income, and other harms, including past and future suffering, loss of earning capacity, family relationships, enjoyment of life, and disgorgement of organized crime profits. He also demands treble damages under federal civil rights laws (42 U.S.C. §1983 and §1985(2)).Due to the case’s complexity, some claims have already been dismissed. The Montgomery County Federal Circuit Court dismissed claims against HMMA and 47 partners “with prejudice” (barring refiling) and claims against 48 other partners and government entities “without prejudice” (allowing refiling). However, many issues remain unresolved, leaving open the possibility of further litigation.

Separately, on July 8, Jasmine Jones, a disabled female employee, filed an EEOC complaint alleging HMMA ignored her requests for workplace accommodations and fired her, claiming employment discrimination and retaliation. Jones stated she requested work restrictions and leave based on a doctor’s diagnosis, but the company failed to act, leading her to use approved leave. She was subsequently terminated without reinstatement opportunities.

Jones also claimed she was paid less than colleagues in similar roles and faced harassment, assault, and denial of medical treatment after raising discrimination concerns. The EEOC upheld her claims of disability and wage discrimination, granting her 90 days to file a lawsuit in federal or state court.