Allegations of race-based harassment and retaliation have been raised in a recent federal lawsuit involving a manufacturing company and its former employee. The case centers on claims that the employee was subjected to racial slurs, threats of violence, and ultimately terminated after reporting these incidents to management.
The complaint was filed by Keevin Greene in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan on April 13, 2026, naming Graphic Packaging International LLC as the defendant.
According to court documents, Greene began working as a press operator at Graphic Packaging’s Kalamazoo facility on September 23, 2022. The complaint states that Greene’s group leader approached him in April 2023 while yelling racial slurs including “You stupid n***er,” then allegedly picked up a knife and threatened to kill Greene with the words “I’ll kill you, stupid n***er.” The filing reports that Greene’s supervisor witnessed this incident but did not intervene or take corrective action.
Greene immediately reported the alleged harassment and threats to the company’s human resources department. However, he claims that no adequate investigation or serious actions were taken by the company. After escalating his concerns to an operations manager without result, Greene says he was told he could be awarded a material handler position only if he would “let all of this die down and go away.”
Following his complaints about workplace conduct, Greene alleges he became subject to targeted surveillance by the company in an effort to find grounds for dismissal. In January 2024, during a blizzard, Greene was disciplined for starting his car early—a practice which other employees reportedly engaged in without facing discipline. On March 6, 2024, his employment was terminated based on what the company described as five disciplinary events within twelve months. Greene contends that several of these disciplinary actions were pretextual or improperly recorded under company policy.
The legal filing asserts violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. It also cites Title 42 of the United States Code Section 1981 as grounds for claims related to discrimination and retaliation based on race. The complaint outlines nine counts including discrimination, retaliation, and harassment under both federal and state law.
“Defendant subjected Greene to different terms and conditions of employment because of his race,” states one section of the filing. Another count alleges: “Defendant would not have taken these adverse actions against Greene but for his protected activity.” The document further claims that Graphic Packaging International failed to implement prompt corrective actions after learning about alleged misconduct.
As relief from the court, Greene requests judgment against Graphic Packaging International LLC for damages covering back wages, front pay, compensatory damages (including emotional distress), attorney’s fees, litigation costs, interest, and any additional relief deemed appropriate by the court. He has also demanded a jury trial on all issues so triable.
The case is identified as Case No. 1:26-cv-01191 in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan Southern Division. Keevin Greene is represented by attorney Mark S. Wilkinson from Paladin Employment Law PLLC.
Source: 126cv01191_Keevin_Greene_v_Graphic_Packaging_Complaint_Western_District_of_Michigan.pdf
