SHERMAN OAKS—On Wednesday, October 19, the owner of the Chicago Bulls and the White Sox was sued by a former caregiver who claims that she was not given proper rest and meal breaks during her employment with his family.
Tiana Waters, 32, alleges violations of the state Labor Code as well as unfair business practices. According to the lawsuit, she was regularly interrupted during her lunch period and was not encouraged to take rest breaks. She would work shifts that sometimes lasted as long as 48 hours. She also claims she is owed unpaid wages, as well as overtime pay.
She was hired on in December 2021 at the rate of $30 an hour to care for Jerry Reinsdorf’s 80-year-old sister, Judith Reinsdorf at her Sherman Oaks home. After being employed for a few months Reinsdorf’s daughter, 45-year-old Lara Alameh, moved into her mother’s home after living out of state.
That is when Alameh began issuing orders to her mother’s healthcare workers according to the suit. In one incident from July 2021, Alameh asked that Waters’ wear a baby monitor or sit beside her mother’s bed in her bedroom to prevent the woman from having seizures. When Waters’ declined knowing that preventing a seizure could be fatal, Alameh allegedly responded that her, “culture does not know when to shut up and that she should stop talking back and just do her job,” the lawsuit states.
After this incident, Jerry Reinsdorf fired Waters from the position. The firing was said to transpired on July 15. Waters is seeking a total of $750,000 in compensatory and punitive damages.
