‘Black Swan’ Unpaid Interns Case Drawing to a Close, or Not?
The Department of Labor (DOL) has long been cracking down on the use of unpaid interns to do the work of employees, and the most famous case alleging such abuse — the interns on the movie “Black Swan” who filed a lawsuit for back pay — may be drawing to a close. Or maybe not.
20th Century Fox, after losing the lawsuit in court and then winning it on appeal, is proposing a settlement that would award most of the interns $495 each — and compensate the lead plaintiffs up to $7,500 apiece.
The settlement, however, must first be approved by U.S. District Judge William Pauley, the very same judge who sided with the plaintiffs in a summary judgment in 2013.
The plaintiffs earlier sought a rehearing with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which overturned Pauley’s judgment, but were rebuffed in February. They could still appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The judge could also reject the terms.
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