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Adidas Faces Lawsuit Over Allegations of Racism and Sexism
Adidas is currently embroiled in a legal battle with a former US employee, April Burton, who alleges that she was wrongfully terminated after speaking out against racist and sexist behavior by senior executives. Burton, who previously worked on Ivy Park, Adidas’s collaboration with Beyoncé, claims that a senior colleague referred to her as “ape” and that the company’s human resources department failed to address the issue when she reported it in April 2022.
In addition to the racial slur, Burton also accuses a senior Adidas executive of making inappropriate comments about Beyoncé at a company event in 2023. These allegations come at a time when Adidas has been under scrutiny for its handling of racism within the organization.
The lawsuit filed by Burton seeks $6.2 million in damages, with Adidas denying the claims and vowing to defend itself against the accusations. The company stated that it conducted an investigation into the matter and found Burton’s claims to be unfounded.
Allegations of Inappropriate Behavior
Burton alleges that when she raised concerns about being called “ape” to HR, she was discouraged from pursuing a formal complaint, with the suggestion that it was merely an “affectionate shortening” of her name. She also claims that a senior executive at Adidas made disparaging remarks about Beyoncé’s body and questioned why her husband, Jay-Z, was not running her business.
In response to these allegations, the executive in question, Roland Auschel, denied using such language and stated that if those words were spoken, they were not his.
Previous Controversies at Adidas
Auschel, who was the chief sales officer at Adidas, was previously involved in a compliance probe in 2021 following complaints about his comments on diversity within the company. Despite receiving a final warning, Auschel left Adidas on what he described as “the best of terms.”
Burton’s legal filing also claims that Adidas offered her a promotion after she met with the company’s CEO, Bjørn Gulden, but instead demoted her following the conclusion of the Ivy Park collaboration. She alleges that she faced internal ostracization after initiating legal action while still employed at the company.
Burton joined Adidas in 2020 and was dismissed from her role as a senior manager in February 2024, following what she describes as a biased investigation.
The case highlights the ongoing challenges faced by companies in addressing issues of racism and sexism in the workplace, and serves as a reminder of the importance of creating a culture of inclusivity and respect for all employees.
