TAMPA – A Hernando County woman has filed a class-action suit against a Spring Hill business alleging that it did not compensate its employees for overtime work for a time and that she was terminated in retaliation for her complaints about the lack of overtime pay.
Kristie Drinosky filed a complaint on behalf of herself and others similarly situated on March 29 in the Tampa Division of the Middle District of Florida against Southeast Title of the Suncoast Inc. and James G. Smith citing the Fair Labor Standards Act.
According to the complaint, the plaintiffs allege that she was employed by the defendant in 2003 and then from June 2013 to June 2016 as a title processor and closer. The plaintiffs hold Southeast Title of the Suncoast Inc. and Smith responsible because the defendants allegedly failed to keep or provide an accurate record of its employees' hours worked, and failed to compensate its employees of overtime wages, and terminated the plaintiff because of her complaints about the unpaid overtime.
The plaintiffs request a trial by jury and seek judgment against defendants, reinstatement of full fringe benefits, front and back pay, liquidated damages, other compensatory damages, attorneys' fees, costs, punitive damages, interest, and other relief the court deems appropriate. She is represented by Jay P. Lechner and Jason M. Melton of Whittel & Melton LLC in St. Petersburg.
Tampa Division of the Middle District of Florida Case number 8:17-cv-00735