A former executive at a well-known Kentucky bourbon distillery has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the company.
In a lawsuit filed Feb. 13 in Nelson County, Sylvia E. Sanders accused Bardstown Bourbon Company, parent Lofted Spirits, Lofted CEO Mark Erwin, BBC president Peter Marino, Pritzker Private Capital Investment Partners, and PPC operating partner Christian Brickman of gender discrimination and retaliation.
Bardstown Bourbon and parent Lofted Spirits operate under Pritzker Private Capital, owned by J.B. Pritzker and Anthony N. Pritzker.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the distillery said: “We believe these claims are without merit, and we intend to vigorously defend ourselves.”
The lawsuit presents a potential setback for a rising bourbon brand that has posted growing success despite a broader slowdown in the spirits industry.
Barrels age behind a glass wall inside a warehouse at Bardstown Bourbon Company in Bardstown, Ky., on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025. Ryan C. Hermens/[email protected]
In her complaint, Sanders alleged the company fostered a hostile work environment for female employees and others. She stated that the company terminated her in May 2024 after she reported “illegal, unethical, discriminatory and improper conduct” by the defendants.
Sanders, 62, served as BBC’s vice president of human resources for five years and oversaw affiliates, including Green River Distilling.
The company appointed Erwin as CEO and president of BBC in September 2019. Later, it named Marino president of BBC and elevated Erwin to CEO of Lofted Spirits. Pritzker acquired the company in 2022.
What the lawsuit against BBC alleges
Sanders claimed in her complaint that the company fired her after she reported “widespread discriminatory animus and slurs; improper protected classification jokes and commentary; blatant racism, ageism and sexist/gender bias; illegal identity-based decision-making; employees arriving, or becoming, while working, under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol and not being properly disciplined or addressed by supervisors; falsification of mandatory occupational health, and incident-related documentation and regulatory mandated reporting; theft of company product; a hit-and-run alcohol-related accident; omission of human resources altogether from mandatory reporting and/or engagement under BBC and Pritzker Policies and Procedures; and employees, including under-aged employees, being served the corporate group’s alcohol during work hours including encouraging under-age drinking.”
According to the lawsuit, Sanders wrote a detailed memo to Erwin outlining the incidents. Weeks later, despite previously receiving only exemplary reviews, the company terminated her employment. Her attorney said she escalated her concerns to Christian Brickman at PPC in May 2024 but was escorted from the premises days later.
“This case is about corporate accountability at the highest levels,” said James M. Morris, Sanders’ attorney. “Our client was the vice president of human resources — the person charged with protecting employees and ensuring legal compliance. When she reported systemic discrimination, retaliation, and potential regulatory violations, she was silenced and removed. No company — regardless of private equity ownership or political connections — is above Kentucky law.”
The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages, lost wages, lost equity interest, punitive damages, attorneys’ fees, and a jury trial.
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