CPSC Announces Forman Mills Civil Penalty And Compliance Program

For the first time in nearly a year, a unanimous U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission ("CPSC") announced that a company will pay a hefty civil penalty and enact a strict compliance program to resolve allegations regarding its reporting practices.  This announcement comes almost one year after three similarly structured civil penalties were levied by the CPSC against Ross Stores, Kolcraft and Williams Sonoma.  Importantly, the settlement reached with the New Jersey-based, clothing retailer Forman Mills, like the ones entered into last year, mandates the implementation and maintenance of a comprehensive compliance program.  This recent trend continues to be a notable, and controversial, one.