Iowa court to see lawsuit alleging 'gross negligence' by Tyson during COVID-19 outbreaks

Tyson Foods wasn't acting under the direction of the federal government in operating the way it did at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday.

As a result, a lawsuit alleging its action led to the deaths of several workers should be heard in state courts.

The food conglomerate argued the case should be heard at the federal level because it was working at the behest of federal officials to keep the nation's food supply steady in March and early April 2020. It cited an executive order signed by then-President Donald Trump proclaiming meatpackers to be "essential infrastructure" and compelling them to remain open.

But that's not enough to declare the company was effectively a functionary of the federal government, Judge Jane Kelly wrote in the appeal court's ruling, which affirmed the decision by the district judge.

Read more: https://www.amestrib.com/story/news/2021/12/30/tyson-lawsuit-over-covid-19-conditions-waterloo-iowa-meatpacking-plant-sent-state-court/9054717002/
(Ames Tribune)