The lawsuit claims the recruiter refused to let the applicant respond to the report's findings

Perfetti Van Melle faces a class action accusing the confectionery giant of pulling a job offer without following federal background check rules.

The case, filed on February 18, 2026, in the Northern District of Illinois, centers on a hiring process that allegedly went sideways after a background report surfaced a criminal conviction — and the company moved to withdraw the offer before the applicant had a meaningful chance to respond.

According to the lawsuit, Ramiro Rodriguez applied for a Category Manager role at the company's Rockford, Illinois location in early January 2025. He went through the full gauntlet — a phone screening, multiple video interviews with senior procurement leaders, and a final interview with the Chief Procurement Officer. On February 20, 2025, he accepted the company's best and final offer and completed the required background screening questionnaire and drug screening that same day.

What happened next is where the case gets instructive for HR teams.

On February 25, Rodriguez received a copy of his background report from Selection.com. Later that day, the company's HR recruiter, Colin Connell, called to say the company was reconsidering. The lawsuit alleges Connell repeatedly interrupted Rodriguez during the call, refused to let him respond, and shut down any attempt to explain or dispute the findings. The offer was pulled, citing certain information in...

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