Reality News: “American Idol” Tour Fined
At a time when everyone has been concerned over whether “Kid Nation” broke any child labor laws, turns out the “American Idol” tour has actually been a culprit.
New York state labor officials said the tour broke child labor laws by allowing underage teens Jordin Sparks (age 17) and Sanjaya Malakar (age 17 when the tour was in New York) to perform without permits. Employers must register underage performers with the state. This allows for monitoring to make sure that child labor, education, and worker’s compensation regulations are all being followed.
Nineteen Touring LLC has agreed to pay $5,000 in fines resulting from 16 violations.
Nineteen Touring LLC released no comment on the situation, but Patricia Smith, the Labor Commissioner for New York said, “This settlement should serve as a strong reminder that the Labor Department is aggressively enforcing the state’s labor laws to protect all workers, especially children.”
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