Leeman v. American Greetings Corporation

The parties involved in the enforcement action Leeman v. American Greetings Corporation executed an agreement on February 6, 2014.  In this matter, citizen enforcer Whitney R. Leeman, Ph.D., alleged that the defendant American Greetings Corporation (“American Greetings”) sold greeting cards made with vinyl/PVC components containing the phthalate chemical di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (“DEHP”) in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings. 

As part of the settlement, American Greetings agreed not to sell the specific greeting cards identified in the Consent Judgment in California after the Marin County Superior Court approves the Consent Judgment, unless the cards contain no more than 1,000 parts per million of DEHP when analyzed using state or federally approved testing methodologies.  Should American Greetings provide written certification that the cards qualify as reformulated by May 1, 2014, Leeman agreed to waive a portion of the civil fine that would otherwise be applied. 

The Consent Judgment requires a total settlement payment of $54,000, divided therein between civil penalties, 75% of which are paid to California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and compensation to whistleblower Leeman and her counsel for their successful enforcement of this matter in the public interest.