Leeman v. Genesco Inc., et al.

The parties involved in the case Leeman v. Genesco Inc., et al. executed a Consent Judgment on November 18, 2016.  In this matter, citizen enforcer Whitney R. Leeman, Ph.D. alleged that Genesco Inc. and Hat World, Inc. (“Settling Defendants”) sold hat luggage cases with vinyl/PVC shoulder straps 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 agreement, Settling Defendants agreed not to sell any hat luggage cases with vinyl/PVC shoulder straps in California after the Marin County Superior Court approves the Judgment, unless the straps contain no more than 1,000 parts per million of DEHP when analyzed using state or federally approved testing methodologies OR have Proposition 65 warnings provided.  Should Settling Defendants provide Leeman with certification by July 15, 2017 that hat luggage cases with vinyl/PVC shoulder straps sold in California qualify as reformulated per the above standards, Leeman has agreed to waive a portion of the civil penalty that would otherwise be applied.

The Consent Judgment required settlement payments of up to $45,000, 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.