Method Home Products Class Action Settlement July 2, 2021 Class Action Settlement – Connary, et al. v. S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc., California Superior Court, Alameda County Case No. RG20062675 FDPK is pleased to announce preliminary approval of the proposed settlement for Method Products (Connary, et al. v. S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.,), a class action alleging false and misleading “non-toxic” claims on certain Method Products sold across the United States. The Settlement establishes a $2.25 million fund, which will be used to make cash payments to Class Members who submit a timely and valid claim online, as well as class notice and administration costs, attorneys’ costs, fees and expenses, any Service Awards the Court awards to the named Plaintiffs. Additionally, SC Johnson has agreed to remove the “non-toxic” labeling after the Settlement is approved. Details of the Settlement and class members’ options, including to participate in the settlement, are available at www.HouseholdProductsSettlement.com. The Settlement Class includes all persons who reside in the U.S. and purchased in the U.S. any of the below listed Method Brand products between May 14, 2016 and May 13, 2021 for use and not for resale: Method All-Purpose Cleaner Method Squirt + Mop Hard Floor Cleaner Method All-Purpose Cleaner for Dog Method Bathroom Cleaner Method All-Purpose Cleaner for Cat Method Wood for Good Daily Clean Method All-Purpose Cleaning Wipes Method Dish Soap, Method Smarty Dish Method All-Purpose Cleaning Wipes for Dog Method Smarty Dish Plus Method All-Purpose Cleaning Wipes for Cat Method PowerDish Method Squirt + Mop Wood Floor Cleaner Method Daily Granite Cleaner Method Foaming Bathroom Cleaner Method Stainless Steel Polish Method Glass + Surface Cleaner Method Heavy Duty Degreaser Method Wood for Good Polish Method Daily Shower Cleaner Class members can submit claims online or by mailing the claim form by November 1, 2021. Class Members who submit a timely claim can receive a cash payment, depending on any proof of purchase, as follows: a) With Proof of Purchase. Claimants who file a valid Claim Form for purchases of Products with Proof of Purchase may obtain reimbursement of up to One Dollar ($1.00) per Product purchased during the Class Period, without any limitation on the number of Products purchased. The Initial Claim Amount depends on the number of Products purchased per the Proof of Purchase provided and is subject to a pro rata upward or downward adjustment pursuant to Section 4.4 of the Settlement. b) Without Proof of Purchase. Claimants who file a Claim Form for purchases of Products without Proof of Purchase may obtain reimbursement of up to One Dollar ($1.00) per Product purchased for up to ten (10) Products purchased during the Class Period. Claimants seeking reimbursement without Proof of Purchase must state under penalty of perjury the type(s) and number of Products purchased and the approximate date(s) of purchases. The Initial Claim Amount is subject to a pro rata upward or downward adjustment pursuant to Section 4.4 of the Settlement. The Court scheduled a Fairness Hearing for November 16, 2021, at 3:00 PM, Pacific Time at Dept. 23 of the Administration Building, 1221 Oak Street, 4th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612. More information about the Settlement may be found at: http://www.householdproductssettlement.com/ Click on the links to review important documents: Order Granting Preliminary Approval Method Notice of Settlement Method Settlement Agreement Method First Amended Complaint Method Claimant Form
Civil Rights December 19, 2012 Settlement of an important civil rights lawsuit involving religious freedom announced December 17, 2012. This settlement affects the civil rights of rabbis and other Pennsylvania religious leaders. It also guarantees religious freedom for Pennsylvania religious leaders of any denomination or sect who perform ceremonies, customs, religious rites or practices. Such individuals are now excluded from the definition of “funeral director.” Stephen Pincus represented Rabbi Daniel Wasserman, the Rabbi of Shaare Torah Congregation in Pittsburgh. After the Rabbi conducted a religious burial in 2009, a commercial funeral director accused him of breaking state law. The funeral director reported the Rabbi to the State Board of Funeral Directors, opening an investigation by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Enforcement and Investigation. The Rabbi was investigated for 28 months for “practicing as a funeral director without a license.” In August 2012, the Rabbi filed suit against the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in federal court in Harrisburg. This civil rights lawsuit claimed that the Rabbi’s religious freedom and rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, as well as under Article 1 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, had been violated. The settlement provides that all religious leaders and their congregations in Pennsylvania are relieved of the definition of “funeral director.” The State Board of Funeral Directors must begin new enforcement procedures and the Pennsylvania Board of Professional and Occupational Affairs must train its attorneys, paralegals and investigators to make certain that the civil rights of individuals who perform religious burials are not violated. “This settlement will have the important consequence of lifting the threat of investigation that has hung over the heads of Pennsylvania religious leaders of all faiths,” said Mr. Pincus. “This was a matter worth pursuing, not simply on the Rabbi’s behalf, but on behalf of the members of every temple, meeting, mosque or other religious congregations who are entitled to be buried as their religions dictate.” Two news articles related to this civil rights settlement appear below: Clergy to be Allowed to Conduct Funerals Squirrel Hill Rabbi Declares Important Victory for Religious Freedom
