EAST ST. LOUIS — An African American female employee at Pepsi MidAmerica claims white female employees with less qualifications and experience were given promotions and higher pay.
Juanita Snow filed a complaint Oct. 1 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois Benton Division against Pepsi MidAmerica Co., alleging race discrimination .
According to the complaint, Snow is an African American female and applied for various positions with Pepsi in December 2019. She claims that despite having a Bachelors degree in business management from Southern Illinois University, she was hired as a reconciliation clerk, which paid $12 per hour instead of being given a salaried position. Snow alleges Pepsi claimed the reconciliation clerk position was a "feeder" job and would provide foundation skills for other positions.
Snow claims that in August 2020, she was denied a promotion when the position was given to a white female with no experience with Pepsi or the vending industry and was given a higher pay rate. Snow claims Pepsi also hired another white female with less qualifications who was also paid significantly more money.
She claims she was denied the positions due to her race.
Snow seeks monetary relief, interest and all other proper relief. She is represented by Shari Rhode of The Rhode Law Firm in Carbondale.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois case number 3:21-CV-01206-DWD