Ben & Jerry’s Alleges Unilever Illegally Fired CEO Over Leftist Activism
Ben & Jerry’s has sued Unilever, accusing its parent company of illegally firing CEO Dave Stever on March 3rd over leftist political activism and breaching its contract.
Unilever bought Ben & Jerry’s in 2000. The company maintained an independent board of directors to continue its far-left political advocacy.
“Unilever’s repeated threats (including to dismantle the Independent Board), inappropriate muzzling, and campaign of professional reprisals are particularly concerning given their simultaneous efforts to restructure the company,” the company wrote in the lawsuit.
Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever had a Settlement Agreement in December 2022 to force the parent company to respect “the Independent Board’s authority over Ben & Jerry’s Social Mission and Brand Integrity.”
Ben & Jerry’s alleges Unilever started “to spin off Unilever’s ice cream business” to a standalone company and hasn’t worked with the Independent Board.
“To date, Unilever has failed to engage with the Independent Board in good faith regarding how the restructuring will preserve the rights, duties, and obligations specified in the parties’ agreements, including Ben & Jerry’s Social Mission and Brand Integrity and the Independent Board’s authority over the same,” continued the lawsuit. “Instead, they have repeatedly threatened Ben & Jerry’s personnel, encroached on the Independent Board’s authority over the Social Mission, and are now moving to replace those who they deem to have sided with the Independent Board.”
Ben & Jerry’s claims Unilever has consistently threatened the company’s personnel, including Stever, if they did not stop the Social Mission.
Unilever and the head of ice cream, Peter ter Kulve, fired Stever supposedly before consulting and discussing the move with the advisory committee. The two companies signed an agreement for the advisory committee when they merged in 2000.
“On information and belief, Unilever’s motive for removing Mr. Stever is his commitment to Ben & Jerry’s Social Mission and Essential Brand Integrity and his willingness to collaborate in good faith with the Independent Board, rather than any genuine concerns regarding his performance history,” states Ben & Jerry’s. “Under Mr. Stever’s tenure, Ben & Jerry’s outperformed Unilever’s ice cream portfolio and was ranked #2 on the Brand 500 Authenticity Index in both 2023 and 2024.”
Concurrently with their efforts to remove Mr. Stever, Unilever’s suppression of Ben & Jerry’s Social Mission has reached startling new levels of oppressiveness—and irony. For example, Unilever prevented Ben & Jerry’s—the company that has openly called for “Dismantling White Supremacy”—from issuing a post commemorating Black History Month. And most recently, after Columbia graduate Mahmoud Khalil was detained by ICE for expressing proPalestine views on a college campus, Unilever blocked Ben & Jerry’s from making the following post: “Protect the First Amendment! Free speech and peaceful protests are the lifeblood of our democracy, and student activists have always been at the center of the fight for justice. Political speech is protected by our constitution and peaceful civil disobedience should never be the basis for deportation. Protect your right to dissent and take action with the @ACLU,” followed by a link to an ACLU petition for Mr. Khalil’s release. Once again, Unilever provided no explanation for the censorship.
In 2018, Ben & Jerry’s embraced antisemite Linda Sarsour to promote its “Resist” ice cream. The money from the ice cream supported the pro-Farrakhan Women’s March and other anti-Trump groups.
In 2021, Ben & Jerry’s chose to boycott the “Occupied Palestinian Territory,” including the ancient Jewish quarter of Jerusalem.
The boycott led to a year filled with lawsuits for Unilever.
- Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: Israeli Company Sues Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever To Maintain License
- Ben & Jerry’s Sues Corporate Parent Unilever To Thwart Sale Of Branded Ice Cream In Jewish Quarter of Old City, Judea and Samaria
- Ben & Jerry’s Case: Judge Skeptical About Claim Of Irreparable Harm
- Israeli Students Troll Ben & Jerry’s Over Its Occupation Of Abenaki Land (UPDATED)
- Court Denies Ben & Jerry’s Request to Stop Unilever’s Already-Consummated Sale of Ice Cream Maker’s Israeli Business
- Ben & Jerry’s Ends Its Dispute With Unilever Over Ice Cream Brand Sales In Israel
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