Empire is probably one of the biggest TV shows on television right now. The show’s first season was one of the most watched TV series and nearly beat out The Walking Dead in the ratings. Now, the hit tv show is in the middle of a class action lawsuit over filming in a juvenile detention center.
The Hollywood Reporter reports an Illinois judge has allowed kids to sue over the filming of Fox’s Empire in their jail. But why are a group of kids suing the TV series? Allegedly, because production took place at the detention center, the entire show put the jail on a full lockdown. As a result, kids were ordered to stay in areas of the detention center for days forcing them to not go to school, the recreation yard, the library, the infirmary, and even the chapel. Moreover, their six requests were allegedly ignored, and family visits were eliminated. Also, kids report that the experience was psychologically damaging. Lawyers argue that the lockdowns were not “rationally related to a legitimate non-punitive purpose.”
The plaintiffs say were ordered into “pod” areas at the detention center and sat there for days on end, depriving them of their normal school, the recreation yard, the library, the infirmary and the chapel. During this time, their sick requests were allegedly ignored and their family visits were eliminated. The kids say some of those who were incarcerated had entered the jail having been diagnosed with a mental disorder and that the lockdowns were psychologically damaging. As for their claims that due process rights were denied, they allege the lockdowns weren’t rationally related to a legitimate non-punitive purpose. (via THR)
You can read the US District Judge’s opinion on the lawsuit here.
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