FOOD LION BIAS SUIT NIXED AS CLASS ACTION

ATHENS, Ga. -- A U.S. District Court here has refused to allow a race discrimination lawsuit against Food Lion, Salisbury, N.C., to proceed as a class action.

it is expected to proceed individually.

The original suit was filed here last year by Sarah Bullock, a former part-time cashier at Food Lion who claimed she was not promoted and was subsequently fired because she is African-American. She sought to amend the suit, charging the chain discriminated against all African-American employees. Food Lion said the court ruled that claims of race discrimination were not appropriate for a class-action suit.