T.I., né Clifford Harris, is known for doing the right thing. The rapper never backs down from an opportunity to use his celebrity for a charitable cause. For that reason, it comes as somewhat surprising that he has settled a lawsuit with former employees, who had accused him of failing to pay them overtime at his restaurant, Scales 925 in Atlanta.
As BOSSIP reports, ex-workers Avery Lee, Kyle Vargas, Khori Vargas, and Shawn Yarborough sued the rapper and his business partner, Chris Hughes, for their overtime pay in addition to money damages. Further, Lee alleged that T.I. and the company retaliated when he complained about his missing pay. According to the suit, the plaintiffs claimed the rapper and Hughes were in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Meanwhile, T.I. and his partner denied any wrongdoing. The settlement papers show that both parties agreed that settlement would be the best course of action, as the case would be hard to try.
Under the settlement, T.I., his partner, and the restaurant will pay $43,000 to cover their former employees' legal bills, in addition to back pay and money damages. In total, they paid $78,000 to settle the case. In exchange, the ex-Scales 925 employees have agreed not to sue T.I., Hughes, or the restaurant ever again, nor will they hold them liable for their wage dispute. While this case may be closed, Scales 925 is still entangled in another wage dispute with other employees.
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