Leeman v. Golf Gifts and Gallery, Inc.

On June 3, 2014, the parties executed an out-of-court Settlement Agreement, which resolved the allegations that whistleblower Whitney R. Leeman, Ph.D., made against settling party Golf Gifts and Gallery, Incorporated (“Golf”).  In this matter, Leeman alleged that Golf sold vinyl/PVC golf ball retriever grips and vinyl/PVC golf ball monogrammer grips 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, Golf agreed not to sell any golf ball retriever grips or golf ball monogrammer grips in California after May 15, 2014, unless the grips contain no more than 1,000 parts per million of DEHP in any accessible component when analyzed using state or federally approved testing methodologies or Proposition 65 warnings are provided.  Should Golf provide written certification that all products sold in California comply with the reformulation standards by July 15, 2014, Leeman agreed to waive a portion of the civil fine that would otherwise be applied. 

The Settlement Agreement requires settlement payments of $37,000, divided therein between civil penalties, 75% of which are paid to California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and compensation to citizen enforcer Leeman and her counsel for their successful enforcement of this matter in the public interest.