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As the relationship between Ben & Jerry’s and its parent company Unilever continues to grow tenser, the ice cream maker has alleged that its CEO was removed by Unilever over the company’s political posts.

In a Tuesday filing in federal court in New York, Ben & Jerry’s accused Unilever of violating a merger agreement by continuously “silencing” Ben & Jerry’s “social mission.”

The ice cream maker says Unilever has threatened its CEO, David Stever, as well as other Ben & Jerry’s employees, over their support for Palestinian refugees.

“Unilever has repeatedly threatened Ben & Jerry’s personnel, including CEO David Stever, should they fail to comply with Unilever’s efforts to silence the social mission,” the filing said.

In the filing, Ben & Jerry’s said an independent board was set up in 2000 following the company’s sale to Unilever, and that its primary role is to “enshrine guardrails preventing any dilution of the company’s social mission and brand integrity.”

On the Ben & Jerry’s website, the ice cream maker identifies its social mission as a “progressive, nonpartisan” one.

A Unilever spokesperson, who declined to be named, on Wednesday blamed the independent board for making confidential information public.

“Regrettably, despite repeated attempts to engage the board and follow the correct process, we are disappointed that the confidentiality of an employee career conversation has been made public,” the spokesperson told USA TODAY. “We hope that the B&J Independent Board will engage as per the original, agreed process.”

Here is what you need to know.

Unilever allegedly suppressed Ben & Jerry’s support for social issues

In the Tuesday filing, Ben & Jerry’s said Unilever had recently reached new levels of “suppression of Ben & Jerry’s social mission.” 

The ice cream maker said Unilever had blocked “without explanation” Ben & Jerry’s from making a post expressing support for Columbia graduate Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian refugee who says he’s being held as a “political prisoner” for condemning Israel’s attacks on Gaza.

In the filing obtained by USA TODAY, Ben & Jerry’s included the blocked post:

“Protect the First Amendment! Free speech and peaceful protests are the lifeblood of our democracy, and student activists have always been at the center of the fight for justice,” the post said. “Political speech is protected by our constitution and peaceful civil disobedience should never be the basis for deportation. Protect your right to dissent and take action with the @ACLU.”

Ben & Jerry’s said it also planned to include a link to an ACLU petition in support of Khalil. 

The company also alleged that Unilever had blocked a planned post in celebration of Black History Month in February.

In another filing in February, Ben & Jerry’s alleged suppression of their social views. The company said Unilever ice cream chief Peter ter Kulve unilaterally banned it from “issuing any posts criticizing President Trump” pending further review.

Ter Kulve previously banned a planned post on hot-button issues when Trump was inaugurated on Jan. 20 because the post mentioned the incoming president, Ben & Jerry’s said in the filing.

Unilever threatened Ben & Jerry’s with dismantling of independent board

In the initial lawsuit filed back in November, Ben & Jerry’s alleged that Unilever had threatened to dismantle the independent board created in 2000.

The ice cream maker alleged that Unilever made the threats to the company after they attempted to support Palestinian refugees.

“Unilever threatened to dismantle the Independent Board and sue the board members individually if Ben & Jerry’s–with its decades-long motto of ‘peace, love & ice cream’– issued the statement supporting ‘peace’ and a ‘ceasefire’,” the filing said.

Regarding Stever, Ben & Jerry’s alleged that the reasoning for his proposed removal by Unilever is purely due to his “commitment to Ben & Jerry’s Social Mission,” rather than “any genuine concerns regarding his performance history.”

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.