Restaurant Group in Newport to Pay Over $570K in Back Wages & Damages in Federal Lawsuit
GoLocalProv News Team
Restaurant Group in Newport to Pay Over $570K in Back Wages & Damages in Federal Lawsuit
As GoLocal reported, Stoneacre Brasserie, Stoneacre Garden, and Stoneacre Tapas along with owners Christopher Bender and David Crowell were the defendants in the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court by then-United States Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh.
Now, they have asked the court to approve a motion that would require them to pay over $571,000 to employees and in penalties.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTIn the motion to approve the consent order filed on Wednesday in federal court, the defendants have agreed to pay $11,419 in civil penalties - $283,016.01 in back wages and $270,519.19 liquidated damages to employees.
The defendants are also ordered to pay 1% per annum interest on any unpaid balance.
As part of their defense, the owners had admitted they kept tips while serving and bartending in the establishments they owned.
According to court documents, over 80 employees are due back wages and liquidated damages — ranging from $56.62 to $56,365 per employee.
Latest in Federal Case
GoLocal reported on the initial suit in August 2022:
In the lawsuit, Walsh claims that during the time period examined that the Defendants violated federal law by “impropriety including managers and owners in tip pools and failed to pay employees one and one-half times their regular rates of pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek.”
Walsh also alleges that between April 2017 and March 2018, “Defendants Stoneacre Brasserie and Stonacre Tapas failed to pay approximately 88 front-of-the-house employees the required minimum wage under the [Fair Labor Standards Act].”
Walsh and the Department of Labor are claiming Stoneacre and its owners violated eight federal overtime categories.