Workplace Safety Lawsuit Filed Against JBS Beef Plant in Colorado
Trainer Alleges Harassment, Retaliation, and Pressure to Falsify Safety Records
GREELEY, Colo. — A former workplace safety trainer at the JBS USA beef processing plant in Greeley has filed a civil rights lawsuit alleging discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and pressure to falsify safety records that could endanger workers.
Salima Jandali, who began working for JBS in August 2019, says she was subjected to repeated abuse and ultimately forced out of her role as a safety trainer after resisting what she described as illegal and unethical conduct. The lawsuit is pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado and seeks compensatory, economic, and punitive damages.
Jandali, a Moroccan immigrant fluent in English, Arabic, and French, was responsible for providing mandatory safety training to employees at the Greeley plant, JBS’s largest U.S. beef production facility. With a workforce of more than 5,000, many of whom are non-English speakers, the role was critical to both employee and product safety.
Allegations of Harassment and Discrimination
Jandali’s complaint details a hostile work environment beginning shortly after her hiring. She alleges that a JBS supervisor routinely called her a “stupid Muslim” and “stupid Arab” and repeatedly tampered with or discarded her required safety equipment.
According to the lawsuit, her supervisor laughed while Jandali searched for missing safety gear, making it difficult or impossible for her to safely conduct training sessions. In December 2023, Jandali and two other Muslim women filed a formal grievance through their union, alleging discrimination based on race, religion, and national origin.
Interference During Medical Leave
Later that month, Jandali applied for and received approval for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to care for her father after heart surgery. While on leave, she was informed that she had been terminated due to a “no-call/no-show” status, despite having documentation of her approved leave.
After union intervention, Jandali was reinstated, but upon her return in March 2024, she found herself locked out of her email, training materials, and classrooms. It took nearly six weeks to regain access, and her prior emails, which included years of training data, were permanently lost.
Refusal to Falsify Records
Jandali alleges that management pressured her to falsify safety training records to reflect full compliance even when workers had not completed the training. On May 1, 2024, she says two managers asked her to mark absent employees as having completed safety courses. She refused and reported the incident to Human Resources and senior management.
A week later, she was told by JBS Superintendent Mario Rayo that she would face discipline or termination if employees did not reach 100% completion of safety training. When she raised concerns about non-English speakers lacking interpreters, she says she was again ignored.
“Production employees were suffering serious injuries, including losing limbs, and safety protocols needed to be followed,” Jandali wrote in a complaint email. She warned that the company’s demands endangered workers’ lives.
Lawsuit and Pending Response
The 28-page lawsuit, filed by Tyrone Glover Law LLC in Denver, outlines nine counts of civil rights violations. It describes how prolonged stress from the work environment led Jandali to develop depression, PTSD, insomnia, and other symptoms. She left the company on Sept. 9, 2024.
JBS has until mid-to-late August to formally respond. Attorney Matt Morrison of Spencer Fane is representing the company. Magistrate Judge Susan Prose has been assigned to oversee the case.