NLRB Judge: Bookstore Violated Workers’ Rights of Virginia Tech Students

For Immediate Release
Press Contacts:
Linda Paris, Washington Lawyers’ Committee, (202) 308-5186, [email protected]

A National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) administrative judge recently announced that BookHolders LLC, a used textbook store chain with locations in Virginia and Maryland, violated the National Labor Relations Act by terminating an employee for filing a wage and hour complaint and for attempting to enforce an illegal arbitration agreement against student employees.

After discovering that BookHolders paid them below the state minimum wage, Riley DeHority, Hannah Steincamp, and Anna Pletch filed wage and hour complaints with the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI). In response, BookHolders sent letters to the Virginia Tech students, demanding that they drop their complaints or face legal action. BookHolders also terminated Riley DeHority and then sued all three student workers.

The Board judge found that BookHolders engaged in unfair labor practices by maintaining an illegal arbitration agreement; requiring that employees gain employer approval for participating in social media groups; and by firing Riley DeHority after the students filed a wage complaint.  In finding that BookHolders violated federal law, the judge ordered the company to:

  • Reinstate Riley DeHority and provide backpay, compensation for job search expenses, interim employment costs, and reimbursement for negative tax consequences.
  • Rescind or revise its arbitration agreement.
  • Stop terminating employees who engage in protected activity.
  • Post notices about the order at all locations.

“When we reported to the state that we were being paid below minimum wage, BookHolders tried to silence us by firing and suing us,” said charging party Riley Dehority.

“They thought we would drop our wage claims and be bullied into silence. But I knew that giving into the threats would mean letting BookHolders continue taking advantage of people. BookHolders hires inexperienced students and hopes they don’t know their labor rights. For many of my coworkers, this was their first job. Now that we’ve gone through this process, I hope everyone who has worked for less than the minimum wage at BookHolders pursues the backpay they are owed.”

In a related 2023 case, the District Court of Maryland dismissed BookHolders’ lawsuit against the students. The court held that BookHolders’ lawsuit violated Maryland’s anti-SLAPP law, which allows lawsuits to be dismissed when they are brought in bad faith and intended to inhibit First Amendment rights.

The legal team representing the students includes Mark Hanna, Adam Breihan, and Grace Anzalone of Murphy Anderson PLLC, and Sarah Bessell of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs.

If you worked at any BookHolders location in the last three years and you were paid below the Virginia minimum wage, please contact Murphy Anderson: www.murphypllc.com/content/contact

Read the NLRB judge’s decision here.

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