At the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia (OAG), we’re committed to protecting the rights of District workers and ensuring that businesses compete on a level playing field.
Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today announced that Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (Chipotle) will pay the District $322,400 and adopt a new, comprehensive training and workplace compliance plan to resolve allegations of District child labor law violations, including hundreds of instances in which Chipotle failed to abide by legal caps on the number of hours minors are allowed to work. Chipotle operates 20 fast-casual restaurants in the District.
Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today announced a lawsuit against Swahili Village M Street, LLC (Swahili Village DC) and its executive officers, Kevin Onyona and Emad Shoeb, for systematically stealing wages and tips from its servers, hosts, food runners, bussers, and bartenders. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) alleges, after a lengthy pre-suit investigation, that the defendants engaged in egregious wage theft, paid many workers far less than minimum wage (frequently paying servers as little as $5 per hour, including both wages and tips), failed to pay overtime wages, failed to distribute tips, and failed to provide legally required paid sick leave. In its complaint, OAG details a years-long pattern of wage theft and worker abuse. In addition to injunctive relief, the lawsuit seeks to recover wages owed to restaurant workers, and to impose penalties for legal violations.
Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today announced that Prestige Drywall, a construction company that operates in the District of Columbia, will pay over $600,000 in restitution to harmed workers and penalties to the District as part of a wage theft settlement with the Office of the Attorney General (OAG). The settlement resolves OAG’s investigation into allegations that Prestige Drywall extensively misclassified workers as independent contractors instead of employees—depriving them of overtime pay, sick leave, and other employment protections and benefits they were lawfully entitled to receive. Under the terms of the settlement, the company will also be barred from doing business in the District of Columbia for five years.
Earlier this week, I met with Vice President Kamala Harris, Dr. Rahul Gupta, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, and seven other state AGs at the White House to discuss state and federal efforts to address the opioid crisis—a crisis that has caused immense harm in communities across the country and that demands urgent action.
At the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), supporting positive youth development is a priority. Our kids are the heartbeat of our city, so it is essential that we listen to them and amplify their voices, concerns, and ideas.
Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today announced that Georgetown University (Georgetown) will pay up to $550,000 to resolve allegations that it required staff working in research settings to work unpaid overtime, in violation of District law. Under the agreement, Georgetown will establish a fund through which workers can claim the wages they are legally owed and, going forward, will pay the appropriate overtime to all non-exempt employees.
Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today announced that three companies – B&B Solutions, Levy Premium Foodservice Limited Partnership, and District Dogs – will cumulatively pay nearly $1 million to resolve separate allegations that they failed to comply with District wage-and-hour laws. Each settlement recovers restitution and benefits for District workers, as well as civil penalties for the District.
The Office of Attorney General (OAG) prioritizes protecting the health and safety of District youth. Data and common sense tell us that kids who grow up in a safe and healthy environment are much more likely to be successful in school, to develop the skills to become independent and productive, and much less likely to engage in behavior that is dangerous to themselves and those around them.
Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today led 18 Attorneys General in submitting a comment in support of the United States Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) proposed rule banning workplace non-competes. The comment discusses how non-compete clauses harm workers, businesses, and the economy, and how the lack of a clear national prohibition on non-compete clauses undermines individual states’ efforts to address these harms and interferes with interstate commerce.
