CHILD TRAFFICKING AND OTHER ALLEGATIONS MADE AGAINST SHEN YUN IN RECENT LAWSUIT

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Nov 26, 2024, 09:00 ET

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Berger Montague and Farra & Wang filed a class-action lawsuit against Shen Yun, the Chinese classical dance and music company, and other related entities for the widespread use of forced labor, including the forced labor of children and labor law violations. The lead plaintiff representing the proposed class is Chun-Ko Chang, who danced for Shen Yun between ages 13 and 24.

"The Shen Yun Defendants have established a system of control, coercion, and abuse that forces the Shen Yun dancers to labor under threat of serious harm," said Times Wang, founder of Farra & Wang. "Shen Yun dancers come from a community that has already been badly victimized by the Chinese Communist Party. The tragic irony is that Shen Yun uses many of the same tactics as the CCP to threaten and control those subject to their authority."

"I started dancing for Shen Yun when I was only 13," said Ms. Chang. "From the outset, they showed me how cruel they could be towards those who disobeyed their authority. Thus, I knew I couldn't leave without suffering dire consequences. I am bringing this lawsuit to make sure no other children go through what I went through, even though I know they will try to destroy me for it."

"I applaud Ms. Chang for her courage and implore other survivors to support her so that she does not have to stand alone," added Mr. Wang.

"The Shen Yun Defendants control every aspect of the dancers' lives and restrict the dancers' schedules–their eating habits, their ability to freely access the internet and communicate with those outside Shen Yun, and even their romantic and family relationships," said Mariyam Hussain, Senior Counsel at Berger Montague.

"The Shen Yun Defendants target children for their forced labor scheme, as they are more easily coerced," said Michaela Wallin, Shareholder at Berger Montague. "Most dancers are minors, and the Shen Yun Defendants regularly recruit children as young as twelve years old," said Ms. Wallin.

The Plaintiff in this lawsuit alleges violations of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act ("TVPRA") against Defendants on behalf of a proposed class of individuals who worked at the Shen Yun Defendants' Dragon Springs Buddhist Inc. ("Dragon Springs") compound as Dancers for Shen Yun productions ("Dancers"). Plaintiff also alleges violations of the New York Labor Law ("NYLL") on behalf of a proposed class of individuals who worked in New York as performers for Shen Yun, including dancers, musicians, emcees, and set designers ("Performers").

Farra & Wang PLLC is a law firm focused on high-stakes, plaintiff-side litigation that serves the public interest. Our practice areas include: antitrust, China and Taiwan, commercial, fraud & fiduciary, and human rights.

Berger Montague PC is one of the nation's preeminent law firms focusing on complex civil litigation, class actions, and mass torts in federal and state courts throughout the United States. The firm is active in the fields of antitrust, commercial litigation, consumer protection, defective products, environmental law, employment law, securities, and whistleblower cases, among many other practice areas. For more than 50 years, Berger Montague has played lead roles in precedent-setting cases and has recovered over $60 billion for its clients and the classes they have represented. Berger Montague is headquartered in Philadelphia and has offices in Chicago, Minneapolis, San Diego, San Francisco, Toronto, Washington, D.C., and Wilmington, DE.

Contact:
Amy Wall-Monte
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SOURCE Berger Montague