Leeman Files Complaint Against Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Last week, Dr. Whitney R. Leeman filed a complaint in San Francisco County Court against Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Company and Barnes & Noble alleging violations of Proposition 65.  Leeman alleges that the defendants sold books with covers that contained the heavy metal lead, a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, and/or reproductive harm, without the requisite health hazard warnings. 

Proposition 65 requires that companies offering products for sale in California that contain lead must provide consumers with a “clear and reasonable” warning of the risks of exposure.

In addition to civil penalties, Leeman seeks an injunction to prevent the companies from selling any books with covers that contain lead in California without a Proposition 65 warning.

The Chanler Group represents citizen enforcers who, acting in the public interest, commence actions against businesses offering products for sale in California that contain chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive harm without first providing the health hazard warning required by Proposition 65. Citizen enforcers bringing Proposition 65 actions in the public interest may obtain a Court Judgment imposing civil penalties, an injunction requiring reformulation of products, and/or provision of health hazard warnings