A housekeeper filed a civil lawsuit against a Dickerson family Tuesday, saying they forced her to work without pay and didn’t let her leave the home until the region’s largest immigration group intervened four and a half months later.
Court records charge that Belinda and James Caron and their daughter, Brittany, all of Dickerson, forced Janet Gonzalez to clean their house, iron clothes and cook for 40 hours a week without pay. According to the lawsuit, the family refused to drive Gonzalez to the Shady Grove Metro station, keeping her from returning home.
CASA de Maryland announced the lawsuit on the steps of the Montgomery County Council building in Rockville Tuesday, imploring other “victims” to come forward. The group went to the Carons’ home and demanded that Gonzalez leave with them.
The Caron family is denying the charges, and Montgomery law enforcement officials say the case didn’t meet the criminal standard for human trafficking because Gonzalez could have left on her own accord.
“As far as I know, she was paid,” James Caron told The Washington Examiner. “The lady was disgruntled. My wife usually took care of [the payments]. I thought everything was squared away.”
Gonzalez is seeking $14,000 in unpaid wages and at least $42,000 in damages.
