Seven former employees sue, claim Durham-based nonprofit owes them thousands

A lawsuit was filed Friday against CJF America and its executives on behalf of seven plaintiffs who claim they were not paid for work performed for the company.

WRAL Investigates has reported extensively on summer camp employees around the state who say the Durham-based nonprofit did not pay them. The lawsuit claims the issue goes beyond North Carolina, with plaintiffs from Georgia, Virginia and Maryland as well.

The plaintiffs say they are owed money for work on summer camps spanning Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana and Washington, D.C.

Philip Thomas, an attorney with Chalmers, Adams, Backer & Kaufman based out of Raleigh, is representing the seven plaintiffs.

"I think, at the end of the day, this case is about fairness," he said. "People did the work. They deserve to be paid. And that’s just plain and simple."

The lawsuit seeks unpaid wages, which Thomas estimates in the tens of thousands of dollars, as well as "out-of-pocket expenses and foregone opportunities."

The lawsuit describes what happened to each plaintiff, including one who is described as an Army veteran and pastor, who recruited 65 families for a summer camp in Washington, D.C. The filing says the camp was called off by CJF America at the last minute, and he was never paid for weeks of work. 

"As you've been reporting on very well, it's been a real harm to community," Thomas said.  "Our clients are also working individuals with families. They need to feed their families. And they haven’t been able to do so."

The lawsuit names CJF America, as well as related company The Courtney Jordan Group, Inc., also known as Courtney Jordan Foundation, and individuals Courtney Jordan, Kristen Picot, Nicholas Gallardo and Rhoda Hormenoo as defendants. WRAL Investigates attempted to contact all defendants. A CJF America spokesperson provided the following statement:

“CJF America has seen mention of a lawsuit in recent media reports,” the statement reads. “Neither our general counsel, nor our executives, nor our senior leadership have been served.

“We cannot confirm its authenticity. Several individuals mentioned as making public claims of employment with CJF America were never employed by us. Two individuals who were previously employed were terminated, but the majority of names being circulated online never served on our staff. This misrepresentation has unfortunately contributed to confusion. If and when appropriate, we will respond through the courts.”

On Aug. 1, WRAL Investigates tracked down Gallardo at a Raleigh park. He claimed to be on a phone call for five minutes, then finally spoke with reporter Sarah Krueger, saying: "I understand the situation. So what we’re doing is working with our attorney and our HR specialist to handle the situation."

Employees who have spoken with WRAL Investigates say they still have not been paid.

 Thomas said there is a possibility that the lawsuit could expand with additional plaintiffs, and perhaps even turn into a class action lawsuit.

"It seems pretty cut and dry to me," Thomas said. "These folks were employed by the foundation. They performed their duties. And they weren’t paid for them."