Hanna Andersson CEO threatened 'war' with ex-employee after diversity criticism
Ex-employee said CEO messaged her on LinkedIn to express displeasure at a comment she left on company's Instagram post
A former employee at upscale children's clothing company Hanna Andersson said the company's CEO threatened to get her fired from her new job and told her they were "going to war" if she did not apologize for criticizing Hanna Andersson's commitment to diversity.
Former Hanna Andersson employee Meghan Cali said in an Instagram comment last week that Hanna Andersson CEO Mike Edwards should resign and let the company "replace him with a woman of color." Edwards then messaged Cali on LinkedIn to express his displeasure and called an executive at her current employer, BuzzFeed News first reported.
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In June, Cali responded to a Hanna Andersson Instagram post that featured a white father and daughter as Black Lives Matter protests swept the country.
"I can only recall one (yes, exactly ONE) Black person working at corporate, at any level, during my time there," Cali wrote in a now-deleted Instagram comment obtained by FOX Business. "I chalked this up to the small size of the company and the less-than-diverse hiring pool in [P]ortland, but upon seeing hanna's deeply offensive post yesterday, [I] feel differently."
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Edwards found Cali on LinkedIn and sent her a message that said her comments were "as racist as I have seen" and "maybe you should be fired," according to screenshots obtained by FOX Business. The two did not overlap at the company, according to BuzzFeed News.
"You do not know anything about me, our culture, our brand values. ... I would welcome a professional and constructive conversation. The team is working around the clock to address the current environment," Edwards wrote.
Hanna Andersson CEO Mike Edwards. (Hanna Andersson)
His tone grew less conciliatory in later messages.
"If you don't apologize [we're] going to war," Edwards wrote. "You attack me you attack my family and colleges [sic]. Who the hell are you? I am tracking down your CEO and will talk to him this weekend."
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Edwards spoke with Eric Adams, an executive at Filter Digital where Cali is currently employed, but she has not faced any negative consequences, Cali said.
"Their recommendation with me was to not engage any further," Cali told FOX Business.
"If I reach out to anyone on any matter, it’s to seek an understanding," Edwards told BuzzFeed News when asked about the LinkedIn messages.
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FOX Business' inquiries to Edwards, Hanna Andersson, Filter Digital and Adams were not returned at the time of publication.