Ramsey CountyDeferred Compensation
No Company is Too Big to Play Fair.
On March 18, 2021, Nichols Kaster, PLLP filed a case against Ramsey County, the Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS), and the executive director of its board of directors in Minnesota state court on behalf of Plaintiff Allison Schaber and other similarly situated Ramsey County employees.
As detailed in the Complaint, Ramsey County allows its employees to participate in the Minnesota Deferred Compensation Plan (the “Plan”), which is administered by MSRS. While the County promises to provide an investment “match” to its employees participating in the Plan, the County has failed and refused to remit any employer-side contributions to employees’ retirement savings. Instead, and over continuous objection of its employees, Ramsey County diverts monies to employees’ paychecks as regular taxable compensation, denying employees of retirement investment revenue.
Participating employees complained to MSRS about the County’s practice, but MSRS did nothing to correct the issue.
Plaintiff alleges Ramsey’s practices violated its employment policies/contracts and breached the fiduciary duty it owed to employees. Plaintiff further alleges MSRS and its executive director also breached their fiduciary duties owed to Ramsey County employees because they did not intervene to effectuate the match.
This case is entitled Schaber v. Ramsey County, Minnesota State Retirement System, and Erin Leonard, Court File No. 62-CV-21-1228 (Minnesota)
Frequently Asked Questions
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Q:How do I Join This Case?
A:
As part of our investigatory efforts, we are interested in speaking with others who may have been affected by a County employer’s failure to properly remit employer-match compensation to MSRS for investment.
You may contact us toll-free at (877) 344-4628, write to us at Nichols Kaster, PLLP, 4700 IDS Center, 80 South Eighth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55402, or email Attorney Melanie Johnson at mjohnson@nka.com.
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Q:Am I Eligible?
A:This case seeks to represent all individuals currently or formerly employed by Defendant Ramsey County, who participated in and contributed to the Minnesota Deferred Compensation Plan, at any time during the six years prior to the filing of this Complaint until the date of final judgment in this matter. If you have questions about whether you are included in this class, contact us.
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Q:What is a Class Action?
A:
In a class action lawsuit, one or more people, called the “class representatives,” sue on behalf of themselves and other people who have similar claims. Together, this group of people is called a “class” or “class members.” The class representative and the class members together are called the “Plaintiffs.” The companies they sue are called the “Defendants.” The judge or jury resolves the claims for everyone in the class—except those who ask to be excluded from the lawsuit.
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Q:How Long Will This Case Take?
A:
Class actions can often take years, but the precise length of time is unknown. Please check this page periodically for updates on the case’s status.
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