Martin v. Funtime, Inc.

792 F. Supp. 539, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20344, 1991 WL 338561
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Ohio
DecidedApril 24, 1991
DocketNo. 1:90CV1268
StatusPublished

This text of 792 F. Supp. 539 (Martin v. Funtime, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Martin v. Funtime, Inc., 792 F. Supp. 539, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20344, 1991 WL 338561 (N.D. Ohio 1991).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

BATCHELDER, District Judge.

This matter came before the Court for a trial without a jury on March 27-29, 1991. In this case, the Secretary of Labor (“Secretary” or “plaintiff”) seeks an order enjoining Funtime, Inc. (“Funtime” or “defendant”) from violating the wage and hour provisions of the child labor laws, 29 U.S.C. § 212, 215(a)(4), 29 C.F.R. Part 570. Specifically, the Secretary seeks to enjoin violations of the wage and hour provisions as they relate to 14 and 15 year-old children. After hearing all of the testimony, reviewing all of the exhibits, and considering the arguments of counsel, the Court hereby makes the following findings of fact and conclusions of law.

Findings of Fact

1.Defendant, Fun time, is, and at all relevant times described herein was an Ohio Corporation having its principal place of business at 1060 Aurora Road in Aurora, Ohio, within the jurisdiction of this Court, where it is engaged in the operation of amusement parks.

2. At all times hereinafter mentioned, Defendant was engaged at the above place of business in the operation of an amusement park under the name of Geauga Lake Park.

3. At all times hereinafter mentioned, Defendant maintained a place of business on Route 77 in Darien Center, New York, where it is engaged in the operation of an amusemént park under the name of Darien Lake Park (“Darien”), and maintained a place of business at 10101 Riverside Drive in Powell, Ohio, where it is engaged in the operation of an amusement park under the name of Wyandot Lake Park (“Wyandot”).

4. Defendant is and at all times hereinafter mentioned was engaged in the performance of related activities for a common business purpose, constituting an enterprise within the meaning of section 3(r) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), 29 U.S.C. § 208(r).

5. At all times hereinafter mentioned prior to March 31, 1990, Funtime was an enterprise engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce within the meaning of Section 3(s)(2) of the FLSA as amended in 1977, 29 U.S.C. § 203(s)(2), having been an enterprise comprised exclusively of retail or service establishments and having an annual dollar volume in excess of $362,500.00 and having had employees engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce including employees handling, selling or otherwise working on goods or materials that have been produced for or moved in commerce.

6. At all times hereinafter mentioned, subsequent to April 1, 1990, Funtime has been and is an enterprise engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce within the meaning of section 3(s)(l)(A) of the FLSA as amended in 1989, 29 U.S.C. § 203(s)(l)(A), having been and being an enterprise having an annual dollar volume in excess of $500,000.00 exclusive of excise taxes at the retail level and having had and having employees engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce, including employees handling, selling, or otherwise working on goods or [541]*541materials that have been produced for or moved in commerce.

7. Defendant’s normal operating season at each of the three parks it owns and operates is from the middle of May-through the middle of September.

8. During the operating seasons of 1989 and 1990, Funtime employed numerous 14 and 15 year-old children in various occupations throughout the parks.

9. During the course of the employment of these children at each park, Defendant regularly employed 14 and 15 year-old children in operations requiring them to work:

a. past 7:00 p.m. on days when school was in session,
b. before 7:00 a.m.,
c. past 9:00 p.m. on days when school was not in session,
d. more than 18 hours per week during weeks when school was in session,
e. more than 3 hours per day on days when school was in session,
f. more than 40 hours per week during weeks when school was not in session,
g. more than 8 hours per day on days when school was not in session.

10. Defendant was investigated by the Department of Labor in 1985 at Wyandot Lake Park (the “1985 investigation”). As a result of the 1985 investigation, Defendant was assessed a civil money penalty for violations of the child labor provisions of the FLSA, of which defendant paid a reduced amount.

11. Defendant was investigated by the Department of Labor in March 1990 at Geauga Lake. During this investigation, which concluded in May of 1990, the investigator advised Defendant of the requirements for compliance with the child labor provisions of the FLSA. That investigation covered the operating seasons of 1988 and 1989, and revealed many hundreds of individual violations during each season.

12. During the summer season of 1990, each of the three parks owned by Defendant employed children for hours and times as set forth in Finding of Fact 9 above. At Darien Lake and Wyandot Lake parks the number of children so employed was substantial, as was the number of individual violations.

13. All of the alleged violations of the child labor standards referred to in Findings of Fact 9 and 12 were determined directly from the records of the Defendant.

14. The ages of all of the children employed contrary to the Act’s provisions were verified by the Plaintiff through either school records, state records, state age and schooling certificates, birth certificates and records of the Defendant.

Conclusions of Law

1. The business activities conducted by the defendant constitute an enterprise engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce within the meaning of Sections 3(r), 3(s)(2) and Section 3(s)(1)(A) of the FLSA, 29 U.S.C. §§ 203(r), (s)(2), and (s)(1)(A). Defendant is, therefore, subject to the provisions of the FLSA.

2. The activity described in Findings of Fact 9 and 12 constitutes a violation of the provisions of Title 29 U.S.C. § 212, and the Regulations at 29 C.F.R. Part 570, and such violation is prohibited by Title 29 U.S.C. § 215(a)(4).

3. As a result of the 1985 investigation of defendant and, the continued violations after the spring 1990 investigation, it is determined that the violations of 29 U.S.C. § 215(a)(4) are willful in nature.

4.

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Bluebook (online)
792 F. Supp. 539, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20344, 1991 WL 338561, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/martin-v-funtime-inc-ohnd-1991.