Rite Aid Settles Rodent Lawsuit
The Ventura County district attorney’s office has settled a lawsuit against Rite Aid Corp. that alleged unlawful business practices because of rodent infestations in several stores.
A countywide inspection in February, June and July of last year uncovered rodent droppings and chew marks on food packages in many Rite Aid stores, according to Debbie Borsos of the county’s Environmental Health Division.
“We originally went [to the stores] because of a complaint from a consumer who saw droppings on the shelf,” Borsos said.
To settle the suit, Rite Aid representatives agreed to a pest-management and control program that includes retraining store personnel, twice-weekly inspections for vermin and payment of $115,000 in civil penalties and about $55,000 in costs to the Environmental Health Division as well as attorneys’ fees.
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