Class-Action Lawsuit Against Walmart, Inspired by New Bedford Woman’s Case, Gets Fairness Hearing

BOSTON (AP) - A federal judge in Boston has scheduled a hearing in a class-action lawsuit by Walmart employees who sued the retail chain for denying health benefits to their same-sex spouses.

A proposed settlement of $7.5 million would pay for claims by current and former Walmart associates in the U.S, and Puerto Rico that they were unable to obtain health insurance coverage for their same-sex spouses from 2011 to 2013.

The lawsuit was initially filed in 2015 by Jacqueline Cote of New Bedford, an employee at a Massachusetts Walmart. The suit said the Bentonville, Arkansas, company denied medical insurance for her wife. Walmart began offering benefits for same-sex spouses in 2014.

A fairness hearing is scheduled for Monday. Judges hold such hearings to determine whether the settlement should be approved as fair, reasonable and adequate.