Dan McKibben, et al. v. John McMahon, et al.
Alternative Lifestyle Tank ("ALT") Settlement
Case No. 14-2171-JGB-SP

Welcome to the Alternative Lifestyle Tank ("ALT") Settlement Website

If you were housed in the Alternative Lifestyle Tank (hereafter “ALT”) of the West Valley Detention Center (a San Bernardino County jail) between October 22, 2012 and March 31, 2018, you may be entitled to receive money.

Update

Settlement checks were mailed to eligible Class Members on September 18, 2019. On March 3, 2021, the remaining funds from uncashed checks will be re-distributed to eligible Class Members who cashed their initial payment. 

 

What is this lawsuit about?

The United States District Court, Central District of California, granted final approval of the amended Settlement on July 30, 2019. The class action lawsuit, filed in 2014, challenged the treatment of gay, bisexual and transgender inmates who were housed in the Alternative Lifestyle Tank (or "ALT") of the West Valley Detention Center (a San Bernardino County jail).  A settlement has been reached that calls for both modifying what Plaintiffs alleged was discriminatory treatment, and providing a compensation fund.

Who is included?

If you were housed in the ALT between October 22, 2012 and March 31, 2018, you may be a Damages Class Member entitled to receive money. The extent of your compensation is based on a formula that weighs various conditions that applied to ALT residents. It is described further on the FAQs page. Whether you are a class member is determined solely from the records of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

The average recovery exceeds $1,000 even if all class members file claims (but varies greatly based on time in custody and other factors addressing the degree of discriminatory treatment). In order to receive any money in this Settlement, you must have filled out and mailed a Claim Form.

YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS AND OPTIONS IN THIS SETTLEMENT

SUBMIT A CLAIM FORM
Original Class - Expired
Supplemental Class - Expired		 In order to receive any money in this Settlement, you must have filled out and mailed a Claim Form. Your Claim Form must have been postmarked or received by the Administrator no later than January 7, 2019. If you are a member of the Supplemental Class, your deadline to submit a Claim Form was July 19, 2019.
 
EXCLUDE YOURSELF
Original Class - Expired
Supplemental Class - Expired		 If you excluded yourself, you will not be entitled to get any money from the Settlement, and you cannot object to the Settlement. Nor will you be legally bound by anything that happens in this lawsuit. If you wish to “opt out,” or be excluded from the Settlement, your opt-out letter must have been postmarked or received by the Administrator by January 7, 2019. If you are a member of the Supplemental Class, your deadline to exclude yourself from the Settlement was July 19, 2019.
 
OBJECT
Original Class - Expired
Supplemental Class - Expired		 You could have objected to the Settlement if you do not like any part of it, or you may have objected to the request for attorneys’ fees. You must have mailed your objections and any supporting papers by First-Class mail, postmarked no later than January 7, 2019, to the Court and Counsel. If you are a member of the Supplemental Class, your deadline to object to the Settlement was July 19, 2019.
 
GO TO THE HEARING
Original Hearing - Expired		 Ask to speak in Court about the fairness of the Settlement. The original Fairness Hearing was held on February 11, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. (PST).
 
DO NOTHING You won’t get a share of the Settlement benefits and will give up your rights to sue the Defendants about the claims in this case.
 
For more information about the Settlement and how it affects you, please visit the Important Documents and FAQs pages of this website.

For More Information

Visit this website often to get the most up-to-date information.

Call
1-844-877-5925
Email
info@ALTSettlement.com
Mail

ALT Settlement
c/o JND Legal Administration
PO Box 91307
Seattle, WA 98111