⚖️Rakestraw vs. The Hershey Company

United States District Court – District of Kansas

Case No. 2:25-cv-02682-JWB-TJJ

After nearly 3 months of warnings, documents, emails, and attempts to be heard, this case is now filed in federal court.

I told them they would feel my pain.

And it is time.

The defendants are The Hershey Company — and three key individuals who each played a direct role in creating, worsening, and ignoring the injury of a documented disabled worker.

Lee Timmons, Karen Powell, and Bill Maloy are also named as defendants for their roles in the decisions that led to my injury, the denial of safety measures, and the worsening of my documented disability.

Lee Timmons was the manager who chose to deny the safety rubber mats — despite the company’s own training and safety videos stating they were required.

He took my injury report and chose not to file it.

He also reclassified my injury as neuropathy instead of reporting it properly, despite my documented disability.

These actions — as I allege in my federal complaint — contributed directly to my injury and directly to the worsening of that injury.

These were deliberate choices.

 

Bill Maloy

I had asked for the forklift job in hopes of alleviating the pain in my foot.

Bill got me reassigned.

But instead of a sit-down forklift — which would have taken pressure off my foot —

I was put on a stand-up forklift, the exact type of machine that forces you to stand, keeps constant weight on your foot, and pumps pressure directly into the injury every minute you operate it.

In my opinion, that decision took an already damaged foot and accelerated its breakdown.

This was a deliberate choice.

Karen Powell

Karen Powell was the HR representative responsible for protecting both the company and the employees.

When I brought the situation to her attention —

• the denied safety mats,

• the ignored injury report,

• and the reclassification of my injury 

She did not correct it.

She did not intervene.

She did not ensure the proper process was followed.

Instead, she allowed the situation to continue.

Her inaction — as I allege in my federal complaint — allowed the injury to worsen and allowed the unsafe conditions to continue, despite my documented disability and repeated attempts to get help.

This too was a deliberate choice.

Why This Case Matters

This lawsuit is not just about me.

It is about every American worker who has ever been ignored, dismissed, or pushed aside because a corporation values production more than human lives.

When employers can:

deny safety equipment,

ignore injury reports,

reclassify injuries to protect quotas,

and reassign disabled workers into harm,

then none of us are safe.

Accountability is not a privilege — it is a requirement.

If you are a trial firm with the courage to take this to its conclusion

I am ready.

The case is filed.

The defendants are named.

The injury is documented.

The record is undeniable.

📧 Contact: supertech007@gmail.com