Levi’s ex-president claims she was ousted over Covid protests
Levi’s brand president Jennifer Sey claimed on Monday that she was forced out of the famous clothing company over her views on school closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Writing on US journalist Bari Weiss’ Substack, Sey alleged that employees of the company began complaining about her views early in the pandemic when schools first closed in San Francisco. The complaints eventually culminated in CEO Charles Bergh telling Sey, who had worked at the company since 1999, that she could be the firm’s next leader if she would “stop talking about the school thing,” according to Sey.
The company president said she was offered a $1 million severance package, but turned it down as it came attached to a non-disclosure agreement.
“I was condemned for speaking out,” Sey said of her experience. Her objections to Covid mandates in schools included organizing rallies, attending protests, and speaking out on her personal social media accounts.
Sey also claimed she was contacted by legal, human resources, and other departments at Levi’s in an attempt to get her to “pipe down,” but refused to stay quiet.
In the fall of 2021, @JenniferSey was told that I was on track to become the next CEO of @LEVIS. All she had to do was stop talking about opening schools.She refused. And she walked away from $1 million severance so she could be free.https://t.co/WUPmmTIYFy
— Bari Weiss (@bariweiss) February 14, 2022
She said she eventually decided to relocate her family from California to Denver, Colorado so her children could have a “normal childhood.” She faced accusations of being anti-science, racist – she has two black sons – and more after discussing her move from California on Fox News. Sey says she was even asked to do an “apology tour” by Levi’s head of diversity, equity and inclusion, which she refused to do.
“At one meeting of the executive leadership team, the CEO made an off-hand remark that I was ‘acting like Donald Trump.’ I felt embarrassed, and turned my camera off to collect myself,” Sey said, adding that she was eventually told it was “untenable” to keep her at the company.
In her Monday post, Sey accused Levi’s of being “held hostage by intolerant ideologies” and not believing in “genuine inclusion or diversity.”
“I quit so I could be free,” she declared.
Jennifer Sey’s bio remains up on the Levi’s website at the time of writing, and the company has not commented on her departure.
