After initially rejecting a similar request for a hotel sex trafficking lawsuit MDL four years ago, the panel noted after considering the renewed request that the federal courts still have not been flooded with claims justifying centralization.
Oral arguments will be heard on March 28, for a panel of judges to decide for the second time whether all hotel sex trafficking lawsuits filed in the federal courts should be consolidated in one court as part of an MDL.
Massachusetts Econolodge was known to be a center for sex trafficking activities, which the owners and operators profited from by failing to enact procedures that would have prevented the exploitation and abuse.
Lawsuit claims hotel employees were aware of obvious signs of sexual exploitation and physical abuse in their facilities, but ignored the sex trafficking to profit from the illegal activities.
Survivors pursuing hotel sex trafficking lawsuits throughout the federal courts indicated they filed the MDL motion at the request of a judge presiding over some of the cases, following failed attempts at informal coordination.
The request comes on behalf of a federal judge who says judicial resources are being wasted due to a lack of coordination for hotel sex trafficking lawsuits.
