Douglas J. Institute FLSA $2.8M class action settlement

Douglas J. Holdings Institute, an Aveda cosmetology school, agreed to pay $2.8 million to resolve a class action lawsuit claiming that it made cosmetology students work off the clock at its student clinic locations.

The class action lawsuit settlement benefits students who attended Douglas J. cosmetology programs in Michigan and participated in the Alpha, Beta, Gamma and/or Salon Life courses between 2012 and 2022.

According to the class action lawsuit, Douglas J. Holdings Institute forced cosmetology students to work off the clock while cleaning, doing laundry, restocking products or performing sales tasks during student clinic hours. The plaintiffs claim they should have been compensated for such work and that Douglas J. Holdings violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) by failing to pay them for their full hours.

Douglas J. Institute is an Aveda cosmetology school with locations in Michigan, Tennessee and Illinois. 

Douglas J. Institute hasn’t admitted any wrongdoing but agreed to a $2.8 million settlement to resolve the FLSA class action lawsuit.

Under the terms of the Douglas J. Aveda cosmetology school class action lawsuit settlement, class members can receive a cash payment based on the number of qualifying hours they worked. This information will be used to calculate payments for hourly rates and interest. No payment estimates are available at this time. 

The deadline for exclusion and objection is Oct. 23, 2023.

The final approval hearing for the settlement is scheduled for Dec. 19, 2023.

To receive a settlement payment, class members must submit a valid claim form no later than Nov. 24, 2023.

Who’s Eligible

Students who attended Douglas J.’s cosmetology programs in Michigan and participated in the Alpha, Beta, Gamma and/or Salon Life courses between 2012 and 2022

Potential Award

Varies

Proof of Purchase

N/A

Claim Form

NOTE: If you do not qualify for this settlement do NOT file a claim.

Remember: you are submitting your claim under penalty of perjury. You are also harming other eligible Class Members by submitting a fraudulent claim. If you’re unsure if you qualify, please read the FAQ section of the Settlement Administrator’s website to ensure you meet all standards (Top Class Actions is not a Settlement Administrator). If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other open class action settlements you may be eligible for.

Claim Form Deadline

11/24/2023

Case Name

Eberline, et al. v. Douglas J. Holdings Inc., et al., Case No. 5:14-cv-10887, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

Final Hearing

12/19/2023

Settlement Website

CosmetologySchoolSettlement.com

Claims Administrator

Eberline et al. v. Douglas J. Holdings Inc.
Kroll Settlement Administration LLC
P.O. Box 225391
New York, NY 10150-5391
833-933-9669

Class Counsel

John Philo 
SUGAR LAW CENTER FOR ECONOMIC & SOCIAL JUSTICE

Kathryn Bruner James 
GOODMAN HURWITZ & JAMES PC

Defense Counsel

Matthew Nelson
Amanda Fielder
Michael Brady
WARNER NORCROSS + JUDD LLP