State sues Family Dollar over West Memphis Distribution Center rat infestation

Rutledge cites ‘total disregard for public safety’ in case

By JOHN RECH

news@theeveningtimes.com

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge filed suit against the Family Dollar over a massive rodent infestation at its distribution center West Memphis. The lawsuit asserted the company knowingly sold and profited from potentially contaminated goods over the last two years. Whistleblowers in the bulk department videoed rats eating hand fed potato chips and brawling around on the warehouse floor. The video evidence drew an investigation from state and federal health officials.

The lawsuit alleged that Family Dollar under its parent organization Dollar Tree knew about the rodent infestation for years but allowed unsafe products to be sold at hundreds of stores in the southeast region. The AG sought punitive damages, restitution and civil penalties over “the total disregard for public safety” and endangering warehouse workers, retail employees and consumers through the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Act.

“In many rural communities in Arkansas families rely on discount stores like Family Dollar for essential products such as food, medicine and pet food,” said Rutledge. “Family Dollar has had knowledge of this dangerous and massive rodent infestation for over two years, yet they continued to sell and profit from potentially contaminated

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goods. Consumers lost money and could have lost their lives.”

Rutledge reported that state and federal health inspectors showed Family Dollar had knowledge of the rodent infestation since January of 2020. In March 2021, inspectors saw signicant signs of rodent activity and management was aware of rodent problems in the facility. The next month inspectors reported no effective measures had been taken to address the infestation.

Following complaints from state health ofcials and consumers the FDA began investigation in January this year. The FDA issued a safety alert: “Conditions observed during the inspection included live rodents, and dead rodents in various states of decay, rodent feces and urine, evidence of gnawing, nesting and rodent odors throughout the facility, dead birds, bird droppings, and products stored in conditions that did not protect them from contamination.”

The center was fumigated in January and more than 1100 dead rodents were recovered. Company records revealed the removal of 2,300 more rodents during six months in 2021. Rutledge said that documented a history of infestation.

Family Dollar issued a voluntary recall earlier this year and temporarily closed 404 stores including 85 in Arkansas to remove hazardous and contaminated products from shelves.