Plaintiff
- Name: Dominique Tompkins, Sylvia Santos
- Filing Date: March 30, 2026
- Court: United States District Court Northern District of Illinois
- State: Illinois
- Attorney Firm: Nye, Stirling, Hale, Miller, Sweet LLP
Defendant
- Name: Julien Farel LLC
- Website: www.julienfarel.com
- Industry: Consumer Goods
- Standards Cited: ADA and WCAG 2.1 compliance standards
- Summary: Designs, develops, manufactures, and distributes haircare products and related services.
Case Summary
According to the complaint, plaintiffs Dominique Tompkins and Sylvia Santos, both legally blind, allege that Julien Farel LLC's website is not accessible, violating the ADA and New York State Human Rights Law. They encountered significant barriers while attempting to purchase haircare products online, including issues with an accessibility overlay that hindered navigation for screen-reader users. The plaintiffs seek a permanent injunction to require the defendant to make its digital properties accessible, along with compensatory damages and attorneys' fees.
Causes of Action
- Title III of the ADA
- Violation of New York State Human Rights Law, Exec. Law, Article 15 § 290, et seq.
Key Allegations
- Defendant's digital properties are not accessible to legally blind individuals.
- Plaintiffs encountered barriers preventing them from accessing products and services on the Digital Platform.
- Accessibility overlay on the website creates navigation issues for screen-reader users.
Requested Relief
- A Declaratory Judgment that Defendant was in violation of the ADA and New York laws.
- A permanent injunction requiring Defendant to make its Digital Platform accessible.
- Payment of costs of suit and reasonable attorneys’ fees.
- Payment of compensatory and nominal damages.
Jurisdiction & Venue
Jurisdiction is invoked pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331, 28 U.S.C.A. § 1367 and 42 U.S.C. § 12188.
