Two employees pack beans in the factory of bean supplier Rancho Gordo seen on Wednesday, March 4, 2020, in Napa, Calif.After four days of jury deliberation, popular heritage bean company Rancho Gordo has been ordered to pay a former employee $252,000 in damages. The civil case was filed against the Napa company two years ago.
At the beginning of March 2023, Martha Martinez’s lawsuit against the heirloom bean company went to trial. Martinez accused Rancho Gordo of wrongful termination and retaliation, and she sought damages for lost wages and benefits and emotional distress. She also sought “punitive damages in an amount sufficient to punish and deter [Rancho Gordo’s] conduct, and to set an example for others,” according to the.
The company is known for selling dried specialty items such as heirloom beans, grains, seeds, chiles, herbs and spices. It has a reputation among chefs nationwide as offering high-quality products. On Thursday, a Napa County jury fought through a deadlock to reach a majority decision on some of the charges, including wrongful termination, with her pregnancy being a “substantial motivating reason” for her firing, according to theFrom late 2019 through early 2020, Martinez packaged beans at the company’s warehouse in Napa. She claims that during that time, co-workers also discriminated against her for being Salvadoran.
Rancho Gordo has said it was unaware that she was pregnant when fired. The company also said she was let go after the holiday season because there wasn’t as much work post-holidays. Martinez was hired through a temporary staffing agency., a Slack message went out companywide to Rancho Gordo employees explaining what happened in the trial.