Plaintiffs Push Forward in Citizens of Humanity Class Action

In early July, two Citizens of Humanity customers asked the court for partial summary judgment in their class action lawsuit filed against Macy’s Inc. and Citizens of Humanity LLC.

This Citizens of Humanity class action lawsuit alleges the popular retailer and the luxury denim company falsely labeled their jeans as “Made in the USA.”

Background on Citizens of Humanity Class Action Lawsuit

Plaintiffs Louisa Clark and Robyn Mamell sued Macy’s and Citizens of Humanity in June of last year, claiming the fabric, thread, rivets, and buttons found on their brand name jeans were imported from outside the United States.

According to motion for partial summary judgement, Clark argued that because the companies have acknowledged that a pair of Citizens of Humanity brand name jeans, purchased in San Diego County for $218, contained foreign-made parts, they are liable to consumers.

The Citizens of Humanity class action lawsuit claims:

“In their respective answers, Citizens and Macy’s concede (1) the jeans purchased by Clark were labeled as ‘Made in the U.S.A.’ and (2) these jeans contained foreign made components. These admissions in the answer conclusively bind Defendants and entitle Plaintiff to partial summary judgment.”

Macy’s and Citizens of Humanity admitted that the label stating “Made in the USA” appears on the outside of some of their Boyfriend style jean, jeans which feature parts that were manufactured outside outside of the U.S. According to Clark’s class action lawsuit, the presence of foreign materials in a product labeled “Made in the USA” makes Citizens of Humanity and Macy’s liable under California laws.

The plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment comes on the heels of U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino’s denial of Macy’s and Citizens’ motion to dismiss the Made in the USA false labeling class action lawsuit.

The retail and clothing companies claimed that the California state statute cited by the plaintiff in the Citizens of Humanity class action lawsuit is not only antiquated, but also preempted by the Federal Trade Commission Act.

The FTC Act features a 1994 amendment specifically regarding the “Made in the USA” label, according to defendants’ motion to dismiss the Citizens of Humanity class action lawsuit. However, Judge Sammartino disagreed with Macy’s and Citizens’ argument and dismissed their attempt to get out of the suit.

The Citizens of Humanity Class Action Lawsuit is Louise Clark v. Citizens of Humanity LLC, et al., Case No. 3:14-cv-01404, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

Made in the U.S.A. Class Action Litigation

If you or someone you know purchased Citizens of Humanity jeans that featured labels stating Made in USA or Made in the USA, you may be entitled to compensation and may be able to participate in a Citizens of Humanity class action investigation.

Join a Free Citizens of Humanity ‘Made in the USA’ Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you purchased one or more Citizens of Humanity apparel products in California in the past four years based, in part, on a “Made in the USA” label, you may be able to seek compensation by joining a class action lawsuit investigation.

Learn More