The social media influencer known as “The Woke Ginger” filed a lawsuit today in St. Louis Circuit Court, saying his employer terminated him after he criticized Enterprise Mobility on his platform.
Justin Kralemann says he worked for Food Outreach Inc. for eight years, rising to become a senior director of development and strategic initiatives. He says that board members and administrators at the St. Louis-based nonprofit knew of his recent side hustle posting progressive content online and seemingly approved of it. Board members told him this past January that they liked his posts, he says. The executive director helped him select a logo from design options provided by the nonprofit’s “own graphic design firm,” the lawsuit says.
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But in February, Kralemann posted a video on The Woke Ginger’s Instagram based on reporting by St. Louis Magazine that detailed how Enterprise Mobility had come under fire for working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “Enterprise and STLFC keep landing in the news for all the wrong reasons,” he wrote in the caption, detailing how the Taylor family, which owns Enterprise, had also recently banned Black Lives Matter and trans pride flags. The post drew more than 23,000 likes on Instagram alone, with another 1,400 on TikTok—and calls for boycotts from commenters.
The next day, according to Kralemann’s lawsuit, the executive director of Food Outreach told Kralemann, “I can’t believe I have to do this, but I have to put you on administrative leave related to your Enterprise content.”
The lawsuit notes that Craig Marsh, a senior leader at Enterprise Mobility, is the vice president of the board of directors at Food Outreach. In his lawsuit, Kralemann says that the executive director “confirmed that Marsh … spearheaded the decision, along with another Board member.” The suit says Kralemann was then fired on February 23.
Kralemann declined to comment. Food Outreach executive director Julie Lock did not respond to a voicemail seeking comment.
Enterprise Mobility has not responded to multiple requests for comment about its ties to ICE, but it sent a statement today saying that the claims in the lawsuit related to Enterprise Mobility are “categorically untrue.”
The statement continued, “We had no involvement in the decision pertaining to Mr. Kralemann’s employment status. We can also confirm Mr. Marsh recused himself from any board discussions related to the termination.”
Kralemann’s lawsuit rests on a seemingly obscure area of state law. Attorney Edwin Ernst IV alleges in the suit that state law prohibits Missouri employers from terminating people for their political beliefs. “Missouri recognizes a common law claim for wrongful discharge in violation of public policy,” Ernst writes. “An employer who terminates an at-will employee in violation of a clear mandate of public policy is liable for resulting damages.” The lawsuit seeks damages, lost pay, and attorneys’ fees, as well as other costs.
Kralemann now has more than a half-million followers on Instagram, where his tag line is “Loud. Proud. Ginger.” He was recently profiled by LGBTQ magazine Out in STL, which noted that new fans are often surprised to learn he lives in Missouri. “I always tell my followers that I can do far more good by living as a ‘blue dot’ in a red state than I can by living in a vast ocean of blue,” he told editor Chris Andoe.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 7:25 p.m. to include a statement from Enterprise Mobility.
