NEWS release 02.23.24: Class Action Heroes Honored 

Impact Fund Class Action Hall of Fame: 2024 Inductees Announced

Berkeley, 02.23.24 – Twenty-seven heroes were today inducted into the Impact Fund Class Action Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame recognizes named plaintiffs whose commitment and determination has led to significant advances in economic, environmental, racial, and social justice.

Impact Fund Executive Director Jocelyn Larkin said: We recognize today 27 individuals who stood up on behalf of thousands of others to stop race, gender, and disability discrimination in schools and in their workplaces.  Their courage and sacrifice has made the world a better place.

The 2024 inductees are:

• Laryssa Jock, Christy Meierdiercks, Maria House, Denise Maddox, Lisa McConnell, Gloria Pagan, Judy Reed, Linda Rhodes, Nina Shahmirzadi, Leighla Smith Murphy Brown, Dawn Souto-Coons, Marie Wolf, and Kelly Contreras, named plaintiffs in the case Jock v. Sterling Jewelers

The named plaintiffs served as representatives of classes of women sales associates at Sterling Jewelers, the biggest jewelry retailer in the world. The case was an arbitration one brought before the American Arbitration Association in which the 13 Named Plaintiffs alleged sex discrimination claims under Title VII and the Equal Pay Act. Lasting over 16 years, the case broke through legal barriers and paved a path for other class action cases after decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court jeopardized relief, including the ability to bring a class action in arbitration after Stolt Nielsen S.A. v. AnimalFeeds International Corp., obtaining class certification of sex discrimination claims following Walmart v. Dukes, and addressing what is required for absent class members to consent to arbitration on the heels of Lamp Plus, Inc. v. Varela. The Plaintiffs succeeded in having their Title VII disparate impact pay and promotion claims certified as a class of 67,000 women and in having their Equal Pay Act claims conditionally certified and decertification denied for the more than 9,000 women. The Plaintiffs brought to light sex discrimination at Sterling Jewelers with evidence that included disparaging treatment of women at the highest levels of the company, sexualized conduct and harassment, company-wide pay secrecy, cronyism and an antiquated tap-on-the-shoulder promotion system. The case settled mere months before trial in June 2022 for $175 million dollars and programmatic relief to ensure Sterling’s pay and promotion practices comply with the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures and are monitored for a period of three years.

Joseph M. Sellers, counsel for the Plaintiffs and class members, stated: “The Named Plaintiffs of Jock v. Sterling Jewelers have earned their place in history by persevering through adversity, demanding change of long-held discriminatory practices against women in their workplace at Sterling, and for just compensation for the class and changes to pay and promotion practices for future generations. I am very proud of the work and courage of the Named Plaintiffs in Jock.”

Named plaintiff, Lisa McConnell said, “As I came to grips with the case settling, I began to cry with so many emotions welling up that had been bottled up for almost 18 years. This case had been such a big part of my life, but I felt relieved that we had been able to create significant changes to an environment that was badly broken.”

• Doering Meyer and Ryan Gibson, named plaintiffs in the case Meyer v. Blinken (Dept. of State)

Doering and Ryan represented a class of 250 individuals with disabilities facing employment discrimination by the U.S. Department of State in hiring for the Foreign Service. The State Department denied necessary medical clearance, disregarding individual considerations and reasonable accommodations, effectively barring those with disabilities from entering the Foreign Service.

Doering Meyer, openly sharing her Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis, initiated the class challenge persistently for 17 years, joined later by Ryan Gibson, a combat veteran with PTSD. Despite long delays, class certification, and multiple appeals, they changed the discriminatory policy, securing $37.5 million in relief for nearly 250 individuals. Their courage has opened doors for countless people with disabilities to pursue careers in the Foreign Service, with over 100 offered new job opportunities through the settlement.

Following the settlement, Doering Meyer shared, “With each day that passes, I feel able to reclaim lost parts of myself, peeling away the layers of shame piled upon me, from State’s initial rejection of me as not “good enough” because I have MS, to their 17 year refusal to fix an outdated policy.”

• Elyse K, named plaintiff in the case Kerri K. v. State of California

Elyse courageously took a stand for children enrolled in enrolled in a public school that purportedly specialized in serving those with emotional challenges. Four students and their parents filed a class action against the California Department of Education and the Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE), challenging the unlawful use of restraints and seclusion. The suit argued the state's lack of oversight contributed to these dangerous actions, disproportionately harming students with disabilities.

Elyse's own twin children experienced these dangerous practices, and she emerged as a pivotal spokesperson over the five-year case, calling for change and sharing her story. When the case settled, she said, “This will demonstrate to my children that we heard them and believed them, and that the friends they left behind when they left the school will be protected.”

Landmark settlements were reached with the California Department of Education and the CCCOE which mandate better staff training, independent reviews, notice to parents, and individualized student supports. Importantly, the State accepted its responsibility to provide leadership and oversight to ensure safer, more effective behavioral practices for students with disabilities.

• Isabel Zelaya, Geronimo Guerrero, Catarino Zapote Hernandez, Martha Pulido, Carolina Romulo Mendoza, and Maria del Pilar Gonzalez Cruz named plaintiffs in the case Zelaya v. Hammer

Isabel, Geronimo, Catarino, Martha, Carolina, and Maria served as named plaintiffs in a case that challenged racial profiling during an ICE raid of a Tennessee meatpacking plant. Lacking any individualized information about the workers in the plant, federal agents and Tennessee law enforcement conspired to detain every worker who looked Latinx without regard to citizenship or documentation.

These brave individuals came forward during a time of intense fear in their community. Violent workplace raids like the one they experienced have the purpose and effect of traumatizing immigrant workers and making them afraid to speak out against injustice. But even while fighting their immigration cases, the Zelaya plaintiffs came forward to expose the abuses that they endured at the hands of government officials. They remained steadfast over nearly four years of litigation, even after the court allowed intrusive discovery into their immigration history and that of their families, including young children. Their persistence led to unprecedented relief for their community, and the case's resolution coincided with the Biden administration's commitment to ending workplace immigration enforcement.

Catarino said, “I believe the settlement is something special not only for me but for many others who are in this country, this was something historic that showed us that if we fight for justice together, we can succeed and have justice for everyone who is going through something similar to what we experienced and in the future.”

This was the only case challenging a workplace raid under the Trump administration, and it demonstrated the aggressive and unlawful nature of such raids. The settlement of the case secured over $1 million for the workers, as well as the rare victory of facilitating immigration relief for all class members.

• Darryl White, Carl Pinkston, LaRayvian Barnes, Seth Sandronsky, and Roslyn Sandronsky named plaintiffs in the case Black Parallel School Board v. Sacramento City Unified School District

Black Parallel School Board (BPSB) leaders Darryl White and Carl Pinkston, along with student plaintiffs represented by parents LaRayvian Barnes and Roslyn and Seth Sandronsky, served as class representatives in a case that case protects and benefits upwards of 6,000 class member students and their families and improves the educational experience for the nearly 40,000 students in the district and educators alike.

The case targeted a school district with a history of disproportionate discipline, segregation, and abuse, particularly affecting Black students with disabilities. The plaintiffs endured ongoing harsh discipline, unaddressed harassment, and denial of essential educational services. Despite challenges, they pursued a class-action lawsuit over four years, achieving a historic settlement in May 2023. The agreement includes a third-party monitor to enforce an action plan reducing disproportionate discipline, bullying, and harassment, and increasing integrated placements, along with additional district performance markers over five years.

Darryl white adds, “The next five years promises to be a brighter future for our students in the district. The district has even started implementing some of our requests made prior to the settlement, fueling a renewed sense of hope for what lies ahead.”

The Impact Fund Class Action Hall of Fame was conceived in 2016 as a way to acknowledge the exceptional courage and sacrifice of lead plaintiffs in civil rights class actions.

“The benefits of class action litigation can only be realized with the leadership of ordinary individuals willing to stand up to power,” concluded Larkin.

ENDS 

For more information and photography, contact:

Teddy Basham-Witherington 415.845.1206 / twitherington@impactfund.org

About The Impact Fund

The Impact Fund was founded in December 1992 to help advance economic, environmental, racial, and social justice through the courts. Originally envisioned as a purely grantmaking organization, the Impact Fund has made 778 grants totaling $9,426,041. Click here for Grant Criteria and information about Grant Deadlines.  

Since its inception, the Impact Fund has grown to include both advocacy and education in its range of services. Today, the Impact Fund litigates a small number of cases directly, authors amicus briefs, and provides consulting to civil rights practitioners free of charge.

The Impact Fund also presents an annual conference for plaintiff-side class action practitioners, a training institute for budding public interest class action practitioners, and numerous seminars and webinars.  Its latest initiative, the Notice Project, creates solutions to improve class action notices. Click here for the 2023 Annual Report. www.impactfund.org 

What Is A Class Action?

A class action is a type of lawsuit in which one or more individuals sue on behalf of a larger group of people to obtain legal remedies like an injunction, a declaration that a law or practice is unconstitutional, or damages.