PHILADELPHIA – A Nigerian woman hired by a Cheltenham doctor to help with household duties alleges she was not paid a minimum wage during her employment.
Pauline Okafor filed a complaint on July 31 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Dr. Paul Lewis Ezeukwu alleging violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, breach of contract and other counts.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff moved from Nigeria to the U.S in December 2016 to be employed by the defendant to help care for his three children and to keep his residence clean. The suit states the agreement was for the plaintiff to be paid $400 a month and the term of the contract was two years. She alleges she worked more than 100 hours per week.
The plaintiff alleges that the defendant terminated her employment in May 2017 in breach of the contract.
The plaintiff holds Ezeukwu responsible because the defendant allegedly failed to pay her a proper minimum wage.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks compensation for all pay and benefits due to her, liquidated damages, interest, court costs and any further relief the court grants. She is represented by Ari R. Karpf of Karpf, Karpf & Cerutti PC in Bensalem.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania case number 2:17-cv-03410-HB