This case is part of the series of
Signal International cases. It was consolidated with
Achari v. Signal International and continues on that page.
On Aug. 14, 2013, 13 Indian guestworkers filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi for harm suffered as a result of an allegedly fraudulent and coercive employment recruitment scheme. The plaintiffs filed this suit after District Judge Jay Zainey
denied class certification on January 3, 2012 in a related case,
David v. Signal International. The complaint alleged violations of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (18 U.S.C. §1589 (forced labor) and 18 U.S.C. §1590 (trafficking)) and the Civil Rights Act of 1866 (42 U.S.C. §1981), as well as claims for fraudulent misrepresentation, negligent misrepresentation, and breach of contract. The plaintiffs were represented by private law firms.
Plaintiffs were allegedly brought into the United States to provide labor and services to the defendant, Signal International, a company based in Pascagoula, Mississippi with operations in the Gulf Coast region, in the business of providing repairs to offshore oil rigs. The complaint alleged that the plaintiffs paid Signal's recruiters as much as $25,000 for travel, visa, and recruitment fees, but upon arrival in the United States found out they would not receive the green cards promised to them. Instead, plaintiffs were forced to pay additional fees ($1050 per month) to live in racially segregated labor camps, and were subject to squalid living conditions and threats of both legal and physical harm if they complained about the conditions or decided not to provide labor.
On Oct. 17, 2013, the District Court (Judge Robert H. Walker) entered an order consolidating this matter with the
Achari case. The Court (Chief U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr.) then transferred this case and
Achari,
Chakkiyattil v. Signal International, and
Krishnakutty v. Signal International LLC to the Eastern District of Louisiana. On October 24, 2013, the case was assigned to Judge Susie Morgan and consolidated with the
Achari case.
The Court closed the Achari case on May 26, 2017 without prejudice due to settlement agreement. The settlement established a claims process and ensures that all aggrieved individuals included in the litigation may receive relief in spite of the bankruptcy proceedings. In addition to monetary relief, Signal International's CEO issued a statement acknowledging the company's wrongdoing and apologizing for its treatment of the guest workers. The Court retained jurisdiction such that any party may reopen the case if any of the unlocated plaintiffs are located so that they may be paid pursuant to the settlement agreement.
Anna Dimon - 05/12/2015
Virginia Weeks - 10/14/2016
Ava Morgenstern - 12/02/2017
Sichun Liu - 04/01/2019
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