Karina Basso  |  July 9, 2015

Category: Consumer News

Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.

chuck e cheese background check class actionOn July 7, a $1.75 million background check class action settlement was given preliminary approval by a California federal judge, resolving claims that Chuck E. Cheese failed to provide job applicants with sufficient background check disclosures during the employment application process.

The plaintiffs’ unopposed motion for preliminary approval of the Chuck E. Cheese class action settlement was granted by U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino, and will give relief to about 28,500 Class Members who applied to work at the chain restaurant since March 24, 2012. This Class also includes 405 individuals who allege that they suffered adverse action because of the improper background checks performed by Chuck E. Cheese.

According to the proposed Chuck E. Cheese background check class action settlement, qualifying Class Members are automatically entitled to receive a $38 check without having to submit a claim form. Those Class Members who are part of the adverse action subclass will be able to receive an estimated $63 check.

Judge Sammartino has found this proposed background check class action settlement to be fair, stating “Given the risks of litigation and the potential statutory damages, the amount offered in the settlement is fair and reasonable, and this factor weighs in favor of settlement,” according to the granted unopposed motion for preliminary approval of the Chuck E. Cheese settlement.

Per the terms of the proposed background check class action settlement, Chuck E. Cheese (also known as CEC Entertainment Inc.) has also agreed to change the company’s job applications materials to comply with laws governing the use of background check and disclosure forms.

This settlement stems from a background check class action lawsuit that was originally filed in March 2014 by plaintiffs Francesca Ford and Isabel Rodriguez, California residents of Sacramento and San Diego, respectively. In their class action lawsuit, Ford and Rodriguez state they applied for jobs at Chuck E. Cheese locations during the 2012 year, and filled out “Cast Member/Call Center” application forms.

According to their Chuck E. Cheese background check class action lawsuit, the plaintiffs claim the entertainment chain restaurant violated California laws and the FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) because of the way it performs credit and background check reports on potential employees.

More specifically, Ford and Rodriguez claim that the restaurant’s preauthorization form for background checks was buried underneath other employment application information and liability release forms. Per the FCRA statutes, employers cannot perform a credit or background check on a potential employee without that individual’s permission, which must be given on a separate preauthorization form.

In addition to both monetary and injunctive relief provided to the Class through this background check class action settlement, Chuck E. Cheese has also agreed to not oppose Ford and Rodriguez’ application for payment of attorney’s fees, as long as the requested amount does not exceed $577,000.

The plaintiffs are represented by Jordan L. Lurie, Robert K. Friedl, Tarek H. Zohdy and Cody R. Padgett of Capstone Law APC.

The Chuck E. Cheese Background Check Class Action Lawsuit is Ford, et al v. CEC Entertainment Inc., Case No. 3:14-cv-00677, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

We tell you about cash you can claim EVERY WEEK! Sign up for our free newsletter.

8 thoughts onChuck E. Cheese Background Check Settlement Approved

  1. Lorraine Cardinale says:

    I want my check now please send it to me now please

  2. Sarah Kim says:

    I worked at Chuck E Cheese from August 2015- June 2016 and I never got the letter about the case and I never got any check as well but one of my coworkers got a letter a few months ago about the case and how much he should be getting, but he barely started working there March 2016 – present.

  3. Brittany says:

    So I got the letter about everything but never got my check, is there a number I call because I can’t find one and it says in the letter I’m suppose to receive a check.

  4. Ashley Wray says:

    I forgot to mention that I also received a check for $38.91. I need to receive more then that for all my pain and suffering I had to deal with working there from verbal emotional and medical abuse!

  5. Ashley Wray says:

    I worked at chuck e cheese when I was in high school and I regret working there. My GM and all managers were so disrespectful and I used get talked to any kind of way! I work very hard and long hours with no break and if I asked for a break my manager would say your 18 now we are not obligated to give you a break! I used to work 11 and 12 hour shifts. And with no respect from managers. It was defiantly a slave job. I would leave at 2 am sometimes 3 in the morning because they were understaffed and they only assigned one person a Section and I was a game room attendant.. I had to clean all games, fill all machines refill tickets clean all tables, fix broken games, wash all dishes, bust all tables, take trash out to dumpsters and clean dirty bathrooms and toilets with no gloves or proper sanitation equipment. vacuum and clean base boards. They even use to force me to get in the chuckle costume despite of my asthma and allergic reaction I would get from the costume. They wanted me to do the impossible by myself as a senior in high school working to graduate and put myself through prom off of $7.25. It’s the worst job I ever had in my life. They take advantage of teenagers and turn away most older adults that they know they couldn’t take advantage of!! They had no interest in the fact that you were still in high school and that you couldn’t be closing on a weekday they only cared about themselves. They could care less if you graduated or not!! If you said something they would only threaten to fire you because according to them you were easily replaced!!

  6. Kelsey says:

    Used to work there, I got a check today for $38.91

  7. Gary says:

    It is a real check for 39.91 my girlfriends just came in the mail yesterday.

  8. Ashley says:

    Is this a real check?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. By submitting your comment and contact information, you agree to receive marketing emails from Top Class Actions regarding this and/or similar lawsuits or settlements, and/or to be contacted by an attorney or law firm to discuss the details of your potential case at no charge to you if you qualify. Required fields are marked *

Please note: Top Class Actions is not a settlement administrator or law firm. Top Class Actions is a legal news source that reports on class action lawsuits, class action settlements, drug injury lawsuits and product liability lawsuits. Top Class Actions does not process claims and we cannot advise you on the status of any class action settlement claim. You must contact the settlement administrator or your attorney for any updates regarding your claim status, claim form or questions about when payments are expected to be mailed out.