BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – A Vermont-based ice cream company says it’s being silenced by its parent company.
Ben and Jerry’s Independent Board says Unilever is keeping the ice cream giant from speaking out.
According to court paperwork filed in the Southern District of New York, Unilever “threatened Ben and Jerry’s personnel should the company speak regarding issues which Unilever prefers to censor.”
The paperwork says that the merger agreement between Ben and Jerry’s and Unilever prevents the parent company from stopping Ben and Jerry’s social mission. That social mission includes their public and progressive stance on issues like migrant justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and Black Lives Matter.
In 2021, Ben and Jerry’s independent board announced a decision to stop selling their products to Israeli-only settlements in the Middle East. A year later, Unilever said it had sold Ben and Jerry’s intellectual property in those regions.
The two reached a settlement in December of 2022, but Ben and Jerry’s say Unilever has undermined their social action since. Court paperwork details four times Unilever prevented Ben and Jerry’s from posting publicly about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. It also cites an incident when the parent company barred Ben and Jerry’s from donating to Jewish Voices for Peace.
Ben and Jerry’s Independent Board is now suing Unilever for breach of contract.