On February 18, 2007, an African-American individual filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. Represented by private counsel, the plaintiff sued the defendant Cook's Pest Control under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 42 U.S.C. § 1981. The plaintiff alleged that defendant maintained a pattern and practice of discrimination in employment on the basis of race. Specifically, the plaintiff alleged that defendant discouraged African-Americans from applying for jobs with defendant by, among other things, telling them there was no job and requiring that they file applications personally at every office at which they sought employment. The plaintiff sought declaratory judgment, injunctive relief and damages.
On August 8, 2007, the defendant filed motions to dismiss the plaintiffs' complaint for lack of service and the Title VII claims. On January 28, 2008, the district court (Judge L. Scott Coogler) denied the motions.
On June 5, 2008, the defendant filed a motion for summary judgment, arguing that the named plaintiff failed to failed to make a prima facie case for disparate impact or disparate treatment and failed to show any injury to himself. On December 9, 2008, Judge Coogler denied defendant's motion for summary judgment without prejudice pending further discovery.
Over the next several years, extensive discovery was conducted. In December of 2010, the court stayed the case temporarily as the parties sought mediation. In October of 2011 the parties reached a settlement. Under the terms of the proposed settlement agreement, the defendant agreed to set up a settlement fund of $2,500,000 and to bear the costs of administering the payment of the class members' claims. It also agreed to establish and implement a race-neutral, anti-discrimination hiring policy with the help of a monitor, to train employees in the policy, and to keep records of the race of applicants and hires and the reason hiring decisions were made. The settlement was to last three years, with a possible extension of up to one additional year if necessary to resolve challenges still pending with the monitor.
On January 27, 2012, Judge Coogler preliminarily approved the settlement and certified the class for the purposes of the settlement. The class is defined as: All African-Americans who applied for employment at any Cook’s location from March 1, 2005, through the date of preliminary approval of the settlement, and who were denied employment, excluding all judicial officers or employees of the Federal courts within the second degree of affinity; employees of Plaintiffs’ counsel; and any other person whose presence in the class would cause mandatory recusal of any judge assigned to the case.
On July 17, 2012, the Court approved the parties' settlement agreement and dismissed the case with prejudice, while retaining jurisdiction to enforce the settlement agreement. 2012 WL 2923542.
The named plaintiff was allotted to receive $48,000 for the service to the class. The court ordered the defendant to pay attorney's fees, costs and expenses in the amount of $928,831.55, which is $875,000.00 in attorney's fees and $53,831.55 of expenses.
This case is now closed.
Sarah Precup - 10/15/2015
Susie Choi - 05/16/2017
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