McDonald’s Ex-HR Chief Hit With Novel Ruling Over Toxic Culture

McDonald’s Corp.'s former chief people officer, who was fired for sexual harassment, must face claims that he spent years ignoring red flags about its toxic workplace culture, a Delaware judge ruled Wednesday.

Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster issued a novel ruling letting a group of pension funds move forward with sections of their shareholder derivative lawsuit that target David Fairhurst, who also served as an executive vice president until his ouster in 2019. The ongoing case includes other claims against nine current and former board members.

It’s part of a wave of legal troubles confronting the fast food giant since ...