Ford Beats Chicago Women’s Class Bid in Harassment Suit (1)

Women alleging rampant sexual misconduct at two Ford Motor Co. plants in Chicago, including harassment and rape, can’t pursue their claims as a class, a federal judge ruled.

Christie Van and other past and current female at Ford’s Chicago assembly and stamping plant since Feb. 14, 2012, failed to identify the common issues of law and fact needed to proceed as a class, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois said Aug. 22. Their allegation that Ford has engaged in a pattern or practice of sexual harassment at the plants isn’t a common theme holding all their ...