US Supreme Court Denies Lawsuit by Tyson Farmer

By Richard Gibson
Jan 24 2011

Terry Alton, a southern US chicken farmer, will not be able to sue Tyson for their business practices after the US Supreme Court denied his claim this morning.

Alton purchased a poultry farm five years ago and began producing chickens for processing by Tyson Foods. However, he was told at the time of purchase that the farm would not need any improvements to operate for the next decade or more. Alton soon learned that the farm needed major repairs to continue operation.

Then Tyson instituted a new rule whereby all farmers were banned from the weighing room when their chickens were brought in for sale. From that point Alton attempted to unite other Tyson farmers towards a lawsuit that would fight back against the business practices Tyson was using.

However, when the original lawsuit was filed Tyson defeated Alton in a lower court. Alton then sought an appeal through the US Supreme Court but this morning his claim was denied.

Now Alton has been fired from Tyson and has a poultry farm with nowhere to sell his chickens. But Alton can still attempt another appeal as long as he is able to prove that he was fired from the company without cause.

His attorney said that he would be reviewing all of the current laws and filings to determine the best course of action to take against Tyson. This is the second time Tyson has been sued for mistreating their employees that work on poultry farms.