Amanda Dufrechou, et al. v. L&W HR Consulting, LLC, et al.

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA LAFAYETTE DIVISION AMANDA DUFRECHOU, ET AL. CASE NO. 6:25-CV-00242 VERSUS JUDGE ROBERT R. SUMMERHAYS L&W HR CONSULTING, LLC, ET AL. MAGISTRATE JUDGE DAVID J. AYO

DEFAULT JUDGMENT Presently before the Court is Plaintiffs’ Motion for Default Judgment [ECF No. 15]. On July 2, 2025, the Clerk of Court entered default against Defendants due to their failure to plead or otherwise respond to this suit.! Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Plaintiffs’ Motion for Default Judgment [ECF No. 15] is GRANTED. Default judgment is hereby rendered against all Defendants. Considering the record, the Court awards damages as follows: Plaintiff Amanda Dufrechou, shall recover from Defendants, jointly and severally, $167,115.30 in unpaid contractually owed wages,” $62,667.00 in unpaid overtime wages,’ $62,667.00 in liquidated damages,’ and $4,530.26 in wrongfully retained health insurance premiums and medical expenses related to her ERISA claim.°

See ECF No. 9. 2 Based on Dufrechou’s employment agreement with Defendants, she was to receive a weekly salary of $3,038.46. Defendants failed to pay Dufrechou for fifty-five weeks between November 24, 2023 and December 13, 2024. $3,038.46 x 55 weeks = $167,115.30. 3 The FLSA obligates an employer to compensate its employees at one-and-one-half times their regular rate of pay for any week of work in which the employees work more than forty hours. 29 U.S.C. § 207(a)(1). Dufrechou’s regular rate of pay was $75.96/hour. Defendants failed to pay Dufrechou overtime compensation for ten hours each week for fifty-five weeks. $75.96 x 1.5 x 10 weekly overtime hours x 55 weeks = $62,667. * Under the FLSA, a district court generally must award a prevailing plaintiff liquidated damages that are equal in value to the plaintiff’s actual damages. Owens v. Marstek, LLC, 548 F. App’x 966, 972 (Sth Cir. 2013). > For twelve weeks, Defendants made deductions from Dufrechou’s bi-weekly pay in the amount of $671.71 to pay for her health insurance. Defendants, however, failed to pay Dufrechou’s health insurance premiums and instead retained the premiums. Dufrechou additionally incurred medical expenses in the amount of $500.00 that would have been covered by insurance, but for Defendants’ failure to pay the health insurance premiums. ($671.71 x 6 bi-weekly payments) + $500.00 = $4,530.26.

Plaintiff Tasia Batiste, shall recover from Defendants. jointly and severally. $13.800.00 in unpaid contractually owed wages.° $5,175.00 in unpaid overtime wages.’ $5.175.00 in liquidated damages. and $2.058.13 in wrongfully retained health insurance premiums.* Plaintiff Aimee Mittelseadt. shall recover from Defendants, jointly and severally. $95,191.80 in unpaid contractually owed wages.? $35,699.40 in unpaid overtime wages.!° and $35.699.40 in liquidated damages. Plaintiff John Jude Scelfo. shall recover from Defendants. jointly and severally. $67,692.24 in unpaid contractually owed wages.!! $25.383.60 in unpaid overtime wages.!” and $25,383.60 in liquidated damages. The Court further finds, pursuant to 29 U.S.C. § 216(b), that Plaintiffs’ attorneys’ fees in the amount of $43,500.00 and costs in the amount of $1,245.11 are reasonable and were necessarily incurred in the prosecution of this matter. The Court therefore awards Plaintiffs damages in the total amount of $652,982.84. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendants shall pay post-judgment interest, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1961, until paid in full. THUS DONE in Chambers on this AF day of April,2026,—

\ ROBERT R. SUMMERHA UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE Batiste’s regular rate of pay was $23.00/hour. Defendants failed to pay Batiste for fifteen weeks between November 24 2023 and March 9, 2024. $23.00 x 40 hours x 15 weeks = $13,800.00. ? Defendants failed to pay Batiste overtime compensation for ten hours each week for fifty-five weeks. $23.00 x 1.5 x 10 weekly overtime hours x 15 weeks = $5,175.00. ® For twenty-nine weeks, Defendants made deductions from Batiste’s bi-weekly pay in the amount of $141.94 to pay for her health insurance. Defendants, however, failed to pay Batiste’s health msurance premiums and mstead retained the premiums. $141.94 x 14.5 bi-weekly payments = $2,058.13. Mittelseadt was to receive a weekly salary of $1,442.30. Defendants failed to pay Mittelseadt for sixty-six weeks between October 1, 2023 and January 25, 2025. $1,442.30 x 66 weeks = $95.191.80. 0 Mittelseadt’s regular rate of pay was $36.06/hour. Defendants failed to pay Mittelseadt overtime compensation for ten hours each week for sixty-six weeks. $36.06 x 1.5 x 10 weekly overtime hours x 66 weeks = $35,699.40. 1 Scelfo was to receive a weekly salary of $1,538.46. Defendants failed to pay Scelfo for forty-four weeks between December 1, 2023 and October 1, 2024. $1,538.46 x 44 weeks = $67,692.24. © Scelfo’s regular rate of pay was $38.46/hour. Defendants failed to pay Scelfo overtime compensation for ten hours each week for forty-four weeks. $38.46 x 1.5 x 10 weekly overtime hours x 44 weeks = $25,383.60.