A Woman Human Trafficked by a Cult Awarded an $8 Million Verdict

Rare justice for person who suffered from human trafficking.

Human trafficking doesn’t always involve sex. In fact, other forms of labor trafficking are far more prevalent. People who are forced or tricked into working for free or for legally insufficient wages are working out in the open in many jobs in the service industry.

A federal judge in Kansas compensated Kendra Ross $8 million dollars. He entered default judgment against the defendants in favor of a woman who worked for years without pay. She worked in bakeries, homes, and restaurants for nearly a decade without any pay as she was shipped around the country as if she were mere cattle. She was separated from her mother at 12, and was denied proper health care.

Law360 reported that Kendra Ross was indoctrinated into the United Nation of Islam, now known as The Value Creators, at a very young age. From the time she was a teenager, she did many jobs for the organization and its leader, a man named Royall Jenkins, but she received no pay. We see this in domestic housekeeping, childcare, agricultural, and construction settings. Remarkably, Kendra Ross was able to escape in 2012.

It’s unbelievable that in 2018 slavery is alive and well in so many shades and variations, but unfortunately, it is very real. The trauma such people endure is very real too, and it’s great to see a federal judge recognize that with a meaningful amount of damages for the plaintiff. The court compensated Mrs. Ross $453,517.20 in restitution damages, $2,920,000 for emotional distress, $3,373,517.20 in punitive damages, $282,677.50 in liquidated damages, $907,034.40 in trebled (multiplied three times) RICO damages, and $1,800 in conversion damages. The court awarded $117,000 for attorneys’ fees.

Unfortunately, there are many cult-like organizations out there operating like this. Those who are fortunate enough to free themselves have legal rights.

The attorneys at KBA understand how to work with survivors who have been through trauma like this and are ready to help.