Leeman v. Perseus Books, Inc.

The parties involved in the case Leeman v. Perseus Books, Inc. executed a Consent Judgment on July 11, 2017.  In this matter, citizen enforcer Whitney R. Leeman, Ph.D. alleged that Perseus Books, Inc. (“PB”) sold shot glasses with exterior decorations containing the heavy metal lead in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings.  

As part of the agreement, PB agreed not to sell any shot glasses with exterior decorations in California after the Alameda County Superior Court approves the Judgment, unless the decorations contain no more than 90 parts per million of lead when analyzed using state or federally approved testing methodologies.

The Consent Judgment required settlement payments of up to $22,500, 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.