Linda Nehme v. Garfield Beach CVS LLC

BACKGROUND

Plaintiff was employed by CVS beginning in 2008. Dkt. No. 1-1 (First Amended Complaint) (FAC) ¶ 15. For roughly seven years, she worked at a CVS store in Tarzana, California. FAC ¶ 16. She would later go on to work at other CVS stores, including ones in North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, and Encino, before returning to the Tarzana location. FAC ¶¶ 25, 38-39, 53. Plaintiff claims that, while employed by CVS, she was repeatedly subjected to harassing behavior from CVS managers and other employees. FAC ¶¶ 26-57. On September 12, 2019, CVS terminated Plaintiff’s employment. FAC ¶ 62. More than a year later, Plaintiff brought suit in state court.

In October 2014, CVS implemented an optional Arbitration of Workplace Legal Disputes Policy (the Policy) which was introduced “to all non-union employees, including pharmacy employees, through a training module entitled ‘Arbitration of Workplace Legal Disputes’” (the Training). Dkt. No. 16 (Williams Decl.) ¶ 7. Plaintiff completed the Training on November 14, 2014. Id. ¶ 9. In so doing, she acknowledged by electronic signature that “[she] carefully read the [Policy],” including the specific manner in which she could opt…