Class Action Roundup – August 26

Fox Sued Over Empire Filming

Fox is in the hot seat after a proposed class action claimed that, by filming its TV series Empire at a juvenile detention center, the company infringed upon the rights of the children living there. Reportedly, filming took place at Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center from June to August 2015 and, during that time, the center’s facilities (including the recreation yard, chapel and library) were off limits. According to the complaint, the children were confined to their cells for days at a time and visits from family members were either delayed or cancelled altogether. The plaintiffs are looking to claim the profits Fox made from episodes filmed at the center as compensation for whatever psychological and emotional damage they (and up to 400 other children) suffered. Lindsay Kimble wrote an awesome article about the case. So, if you want more information, you should check that out here.

Nature Valley Faces Deceptive Labeling Suit

General Mills is being sued by three non-profit organizations that accuse the company of deceptively marketing its Nature Valley granola products. The lawsuit claims that Nature Valley granola isn’t made with “100% natural whole grain oats” like the packaging says – and actually contains glyphosate, an herbicide classified as “probably carcinogenic” by the World Health Organization. The Organic Consumers Association, Beyond Pesticides and Moms Across America brought the suit, which accuses General Mills of violating the DC Consumer Protection Procedures Act. Looking for more info? Check out this article by Jeff Gelski.

23andMe Lawsuit Sent to Arbitration

A class action claiming 23andMe lied about the health benefits of its DNA testing kits was sent to arbitration on Tuesday. The 9^th Circuit maintained a lower court’s decision that said the company’s terms of service requires that any legal claims against the company be handled through arbitration rather than a class action. The lawsuit claimed that 23andMe deceived consumers by saying its saliva-based DNA tests could help prevent diabetes, heart disease and breast cancer. The Food and Drug Administration told the company it couldn’t make those claims without proper scientific backing when the lawsuit was filed in 2013. If you’d like to learn more about the case, read this article by Erica Teichert over at Modern Healthcare.

Angie’s List Settles Manipulated Search Results Lawsuit

Angie’s list has agreed to pay $1.4 million to settle claims that it manipulated its search results to favor advertisers. If the settlement is granted final approval, paying Angie’s List users will be able to claim a small cash payment or a free month membership for each year they paid for the service during the class period (March 11, 2009 – July 12, 2016). The business-review website claims to have done nothing wrong and only settled to avoid further litigation. Head over to the Indianapolis Business Journal for more information. Jared Council wrote a great article on the settlement.