BALTIMORE (AP) - A man who was serving time in jail has filed a lawsuit against Baltimore County, saying it violated federal and state labor laws by not paying him minimum wage and overtime for working at the recycling facility.
The lawsuit filed by Michael A. Scott says he and others in the county detention center’s work-release program were paid a flat rate of $20 a day to work at the Cockeysville recycling center, The Baltimore Sun reported Thursday. The state’s minimum wage is $11.75 per hour.
Scott performed manual labor at the recycling center between December 2019 and March 2020 while he was in jail, according to the lawsuit. Scott was serving time for two misdemeanor charges of theft under $100 and fourth-degree burglary, according to court records.
In addition, the lawsuit alleges violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, and Maryland wage and hour laws. Lawyers for Scott are seeking class-action status to include others who worked at the recycling facility as part of the county work-release program.
A spokesman for County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. declined to comment, citing the pending litigation.
The county’s work-release program has been suspended since April 7 because of the coronavirus pandemic, officials said.
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