OAN Staff Break Wolf
3:24pm – Wednesday, March 19th, 2025
Ben & Jerry accused parent company Unilever of firing CEO David Stever to the company's political activities.
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According to a federal court filing Tuesday, Ben & Jerry alleged that Unilever violated the merger agreement after the parent company informed the ice cream maker's board of directors that Stever would be removed as CEO.
Unilever claimed that it could acquire Ben & Jerry for $326 million in 2000, helping the ice cream company expand its social mission.
Despite the merger, the companies appeared to have seen a rift in 2021 after Ben & Jerry stopped serving ice cream within the occupied West Bank Israeli settlement and fought for East Jerusalem.
In response, Unilever sold its business interest in Israel to a local company that began selling Ben & Jerry ice cream under the Hebrew and Arabic names of the occupying territories.
The federal judge refused the request, but Ben & Jerry's decision sued Unilever for their decision in an attempt to block the parent company from selling in the contested areas.
“For over 40 years, the company has pursued its own social mission through its public and progressive stance on issues such as immigration justice, LGBTQ+ rights, Black Lives Matter, GMO labeling, and various other economic and social causes that affect historically marginalized communities,” the complaint states.
“Unilever repeatedly halted Ben & Jerry's social mission in a direct violation of the settlement agreement.”
The latest submission said Stever was removed because of Ben & Jerry's social mission and the commitment to the integrity of the brand, not because of a real concern about the history of his performance.
Ben & Jerry said the silence of their social activities was a continuing trend, claiming that they “unilaterally banned” social media posts on abortion, climate change and universal health care, as they mentioned President Donald Trump.
The company added that posts about Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian whose green card was recently revoked after being caught up in a demonstration at Columbia University in New York, were also blocked.
Ben & Jerry said the parent company “didn't explain the censorship.”
Stever started as a tour guide in 1988 and was appointed CEO in May 2023.
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