UPDATE: 1/9/20 12:52 P.M.: Per Dailymail.com, Ken and Lisa’s attorneys have spoken out. They say, ”all allegations of the complaint are disputed.”
“[The suit] constitutes a feeble attempt to unfairly benefit and extract money by disparaging and slandering the celebrity couple. The company, owned by Mr. Todd, operates in full compliance of labor and employment laws. It uses the nationally recognized payroll firm ADP to process all payroll and assure compliance. Lisa and Ken value all of their staff enormously and hope that the feeling is mutual.”
A source also revealed the complainant worked for the restaurant for only 16 weeks and was terminated for cause.
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Lisa Vanderpump‘s big week in the headlines continues — and this time, her restaurant biz isn’t the innocent victim!
As you’ll recall, on Monday, we reported about the crazy car accident which sent a Ferrari flying off the street and straight into PUMP‘s patio. Now, the Real Housewives alum is back in the news again, not even 48 hours later. Drama, drama, drama…
Related: Lisa Claps Back HARD At Kyle Richards In Ongoing War Of Words…
According to court documents, Vanderpump and her husband Ken Todd have been served with a class action lawsuit alleging significant labor violations. First filed on December 16 by former employee Adam Pierce Antoine, the suit accuses the couple of not paying wages or providing meal breaks to workers at their PUMP, SUR, Villa Blanca, and Tom Tom restaurant properties.
Antoine’s suit alleges the improper and missed payments run afoul of a number of California labor laws and have been in violation for at least four years. That includes “failing to pay wages, including overtime wages,” as well as “manipulating or editing time records to show lesser hours than actually worked.” Yikes!!!!
The 59-year-old reality TV mainstay and noted dog-lover is further accused of manipulating and cheating employees out of overtime hours by failing to properly compensate those who worked more than 12 hours in a day or more than 40 hours in a week. Many of those hours, the court docs state, were worked off the clock, during training, or when an employee was “on call.”
Proper meal time and rest breaks serve another point of contention in the court filing, according to People. Antoine’s suit alleges Vanderpump failed to comply with the two 30-minute breaks required by law when an employee works more than ten hours in a day. The class action lawsuit, which quickly tacked on several other former employees in addition to Antoine, further contends those workers were not paid for the time they put in after being fired (WTF?!), nor were they provided pay stubs to reflect the hours they logged week to week.
Whew. There’s a lot in there!
In sum, the former employee at the head of the legal brief says he “suffered damages in an amount subject to proof” and is owed more than $25,000 in restitution and back pay for the offenses. Obviously, with this being filed as a class action lawsuit, things could get far more expensive for Vanderpump and Todd if other employees continue to join the suit and if their claims are found to have legal merit.
Related: Lisa Shadily Reacts To Sarah Paulson’s Super Shady ‘Not That Nice’ Claim!
Even so, we’re a ways away from getting to any potential damages. There’s no word yet on whether the RHOBH star will fight the suit, or settle out of court, or what; Page Six was first to report on the existence of the lawsuit, but Vanderpump has not commented about it publicly. As with most all court cases, this one may be in play for quite a while. We’ll update you as things progress…
Reactions, Perezcious readers?? This is far from the first time the couple’s restaurant biz has been involved in a lawsuit, but these accusations are next level, what with the class action component to it, and all.
Very controversial!!!
[Image via WENN/Instar]
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