Six childcare workers at a Ward 7 daycare say they showed up for their shifts, found the locks changed, and never got paid for the work they'd already done. Now D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb is suing the center's owner, alleging the sudden shutdown left employees owed nearly $15,000 in wages, plus annual leave and damages.
The lawsuit targets Little Swalih Education Center Inc., formerly known as Little Samaritan Child Development Center Inc., and its owner and CEO, Ode H. Hines, according to a statement from the attorney general's office. Little Samaritan operated at 5100 E Street SE in Ward 7, providing childcare and development services for children ranging from six weeks to 12 years old, per the same statement. As WJLA reports, the case is now drawing fresh attention to how the closure played out for staff who were left in the lurch.
According to the lawsuit, Hines permanently closed Little Samaritan on July 26, 2024, without giving advance notice to employees or parents. Workers reportedly discovered the shutdown only when they arrived for their shifts and found the facility's locks had been changed. The daycare had paid employees for the July 1-15, 2024 pay period, the filing states, but never compensated them for work performed from July 16 through the closure, nor for showing up as scheduled on the day the doors shut for good.
What the Lawsuit Alleges Workers Were Owed
Beyond the missed paychecks, the suit claims Little Samaritan failed to compensate employees for paid annual leave they had accrued before being terminated. The attorney general's office says it is seeking to recover wages and damages for the harmed workers, along with penalties for violations of District wage and hour laws. In total, the office is pursuing nearly $15,000 in unpaid wages, as well as damages and penalties tied to the six employees' claims.
District law generally requires employers to pay terminated workers their outstanding wages by the next working day, and separately requires that employees who report for a scheduled shift but are sent home be paid for at least four hours. The lawsuit alleges Little Samaritan failed to issue final wages within the time required by D.C. law, and the allegations against the center and Hines have not been proven in court.
Part of a Broader Pattern of Wage Theft Cases
Part of a Broader Pattern of Wage Theft Cases Schwalb's office has focused its wage-theft enforcement on industries with large numbers of vulnerable workers, including construction, restaurants and hospitality, healthcare, and the gig economy, according to the attorney general's 2025 Labor Day report. Childcare workers at the center say they are owed wages, making the case part of the office's wage-enforcement work.
The office has pursued similar cases before. In July 2024, D.C. restaurant Swahili Village agreed to pay $526,973 to resolve a lawsuit alleging the company systematically stole wages and tips from its staff, according to the 2024 Labor Day report. The Wydown is to pay $8,470.88 in restitution over unpaid hourly wages, according to the attorney general's office.
It remains unclear how the Little Samaritan case will be resolved, and neither Little Swalih Education Center Inc. nor Hines has publicly responded to the allegations. For now, the six former employees are left waiting to see whether the lawsuit recovers the wages and leave pay they say they're still owed.
