$1.85M Towne Nursing Staff Foreign Nurse Settlement, Check If You Qualify — Jemarie Cruz, et al. v. Towne Nursing Staff, Inc., et al.

If you came to the U.S. through Towne Nursing Staff or Towne Pediatric Homecare’s foreign nurse recruitment program and signed a contract with either company between August 13, 2014, and May 26, 2026 — yes, you’re likely included. The companies agreed to pay $1,850,000 to settle claims over their recruitment contracts, plus changes to how future resignations are handled. You have until September 14, 2026, to act.

Towne Nursing Staff Foreign Nurse Settlement — Key Facts

Detail	Information
Settlement Amount	$1,850,000 total
Deadline to Opt In, Opt Out, or Object	September 14, 2026
Who Qualifies	Nurses who entered the U.S. through TNS or TPH’s foreign nurse recruitment program and signed a contract with either company, Aug. 13, 2014 – May 26, 2026
Estimated Payout	Varies — based on any amount you paid TNS/TPH for early resignation, plus hours worked; no single per-person figure published. Opting into the FLSA Collective adds roughly 15% to the hours-worked portion
Proof Required (Yes/No)	No — based on TNS/TPH’s own employment records
Settlement Status	Pending court approval; Fairness Hearing Oct. 7, 2026
Court & Case Number	Superior Court of New Jersey, Monmouth County — Civ. Action No. MON-L-002021-26
Law Alleged	Trafficking Victims Protection Act, RICO, New Jersey Wage Payment Law, New York Labor Law, New York and New Jersey anti-trafficking statutes, and Fair Labor Standards Act claims (FLSA claims released only if you opt in)
Administrator	Atticus Administration
Official Claim Site	TowneNurseSettlement.com
Last Updated	July 18, 2026

Who Are Towne Nursing Staff and Towne Pediatric Homecare, and Why Are They Being Sued?

Towne Nursing Staff, Inc. (TNS) and Towne Pediatric Homecare LLC (TPH) recruit nurses from abroad, help them obtain U.S. visas and licenses, and place them with healthcare facilities. The lawsuit centers on the contracts nurses signed to get here — specifically, provisions that could require a nurse to pay TNS or TPH money if she resigned before her contract term ended. Six named plaintiffs, all nurses who went through the program, brought the case on behalf of everyone else who signed a similar contract.

What Did Towne Nursing Staff Do to Nurses Recruited Between 2014 and 2026?

The lawsuit challenges the legality and enforceability of certain provisions in TNS and TPH’s recruitment contracts, including the practice of requiring nurses to pay the companies money if they resigned before finishing their contract term. This is part of a broader pattern regulators have flagged across the industry — sometimes called “stay-or-pay” contracts — where nurses recruited from abroad face financial penalties for leaving early, even when the reasons for leaving involve unsafe staffing or unmet promises from the employer.

TNS and TPH dispute the allegations and deny any wrongdoing. Both sides agreed to settle after what the notice describes as lengthy, arms’-length negotiations, rather than risk years more litigation — which could have ended with the companies owing nothing, or owing considerably more.

Here’s what makes this settlement different from a typical payout case: it doesn’t just compensate people for the past. It also rewrites the contract terms going forward. Current employees get a defined right to resign “for Good Reason” — including the company’s own failure to honor benefits like PTO — without owing a cent, and anyone who resigns without Good Reason now faces a capped, itemized list of “Actual Direct Costs” instead of an open-ended penalty.

Related article: $9.25M Penn Medicine Patient Privacy Settlement, Check If You Qualify — Mohr v. Penn, No. 230102149

Are You Part of the Towne Nursing Staff Settlement?

Here’s exactly how to know if this case includes you.

• Nurses who entered the United States through TNS or TPH’s foreign nurse recruitment program
• Anyone who signed a contract with TNS and/or TPH between August 13, 2014, and May 26, 2026
• Current employees as of May 26, 2026 automatically benefit from the contract changes described above, regardless of how you respond
• Anyone who worked at least one day for TNS or TPH during the class period is also eligible to join the separate FLSA Settlement Collective for an additional payment
• If you currently owe TNS or TPH money for resigning early, and your employment ended on or before December 3, 2025, that debt is forgiven under this settlement

Not sure if you qualify for the Towne Nursing Staff settlement? A free consultation with an employment attorney can help you weigh the opt-in, opt-out, and objection options before the September 14, 2026 deadline — especially since each choice releases a different set of legal claims.

How Much Can Towne Nursing Staff Settlement Class Members Get?

There’s no single dollar figure here, and that’s by design — the formula reflects what happened to you individually. You’ll receive:

• Reimbursement for any money TNS/TPH’s records show you personally paid them in connection with resigning before your contract ended
• A separate amount based on how many hours you worked for TNS and/or TPH during the class period — more hours worked means a larger payment
• An additional roughly 15% on top of the hours-worked portion, but only if you opt into the FLSA Settlement Collective by September 14, 2026

That last point is the real decision point in this case. Opting in gets you more money on the hours-worked portion, but it also means giving up your right to bring a separate Fair Labor Standards Act claim over the same hours. If you don’t opt in, you still get paid under the settlement — just without that FLSA release, and without the roughly 15% bump.

Your check will come with both a Form 1099 and a Form W-2, since the payment covers both wage and non-wage claims. Neither TNS/TPH nor Class Counsel are providing tax advice, so talk to a tax professional about your specific obligations.

Class Counsel is asking for up to one-third of the Net Settlement Fund in attorneys’ fees, plus up to $60,000 in expenses, and up to $12,000 each in service awards for the six named plaintiffs — as much as $72,000 total. None of that comes out of your pocket directly; it’s deducted from the settlement fund before individual payments are calculated.

What Should You Do Right Now?

1. Read the full Long Form Notice at TowneNurseSettlement.com to see exactly how the formula applies to your situation
2. Decide whether opting into the FLSA Settlement Collective makes sense for you — weigh the roughly 15% increase against giving up a separate FLSA claim
3. If you want the FLSA increase, submit the Opt-In Form by mail or online by September 14, 2026
4. If you’d rather preserve your right to sue TNS/TPH separately, submit an Opt-Out Form by the same deadline — but understand you’ll receive no payment and won’t benefit from most changed practices
5. If you disagree with a specific part of the deal, including the attorneys’ fees, you can object instead of opting out
6. If you do nothing, you’ll still receive a payment based on the standard formula and remain bound by the settlement’s release

Should You Opt Out or Object Before September 14, 2026?

What Opting Out Actually Means

Opting out means no payment and no benefit from most changed practices, but it preserves your right to bring your own separate lawsuit against TNS and/or TPH over the same issues. If you’re a current employee, you’ll still receive the revised contract terms even if you opt out — that part isn’t something you can exclude yourself from.

How to Object to the Settlement

If you disagree with any part of the deal — including the requested attorneys’ fees — you can stay in and object instead of opting out. Objections must be mailed to both the Settlement Administrator and the Superior Court of New Jersey, Monmouth County, postmarked by September 14, 2026, and must include the case name, case number, your contact information, and your specific reasons.

Talk to an employment attorney before September 14, 2026, if you’re weighing any of these options — opting in, opting out, and objecting each release different claims, and you can’t undo the choice once the deadline passes.

Towne Nursing Staff Settlement — Key Dates, 2026

Milestone	Date
Settlement Class Period Begins	August 13, 2014
Settlement Class Period Ends	May 26, 2026
Debt Forgiveness Cutoff (for former employees)	December 3, 2025
Opt-In Deadline (FLSA Collective)	September 14, 2026
Opt-Out Deadline	September 14, 2026
Objection Deadline	September 14, 2026
Fairness Hearing	October 7, 2026
Expected Payment Date	UNVERIFIED — administrator has not published a fixed post-approval payout date

Towne Nursing Staff Settlement — Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a class action settlement against Towne Nursing Staff and Towne Pediatric Homecare right now?

 Yes. Jemarie Cruz, et al. v. Towne Nursing Staff, Inc., et al. is pending before the Superior Court of New Jersey, Monmouth County, with a Fairness Hearing set for October 7, 2026.

Do I need to do anything right now to receive a payment?

 No, if you’re satisfied with the standard formula. Doing nothing still gets you a payment based on your hours worked and any amount you paid TNS/TPH for early resignation, but you’ll be bound by the settlement’s release.

Do I need a lawyer to respond to this settlement?

 No. Class Counsel — Kakalec Law PLLC, Katz Banks Kumin LLP, and Leung Law PLLC — already represents the class, and you won’t be charged directly for their work.

Is the Towne Nursing Staff settlement legitimate?

 Yes. It stems from a real case pending in Monmouth County Superior Court, with Atticus Administration serving as the court-approved administrator.

What does opting into the FLSA Settlement Collective actually change?

 It increases the hours-worked portion of your payment by roughly 15%, but it means giving up your right to bring a separate Fair Labor Standards Act claim over those same hours.

What if I currently owe Towne Nursing Staff or Towne Pediatric Homecare money for resigning early?

 If your employment ended on or before December 3, 2025, that debt is forgiven under this settlement. Current employees benefit from new limits on what they could owe if they resign in the future.

How much could I get if this settlement is approved?

 There’s no fixed number. Your payment depends on any money TNS/TPH’s records show you paid them for early resignation, plus how many hours you worked, plus whether you opt into the FLSA Collective.

Will my Towne Nursing Staff settlement payment be taxed?

 Yes. Your check will come with both a Form 1099 and a Form W-2. Neither the companies nor Class Counsel provide tax advice, so consult your own tax professional.

Sources Used in This Towne Nursing Staff Article

• Official Settlement FAQ, Jemarie Cruz, et al. v. Towne Nursing Staff, Inc., et al., Civ. Action No. MON-L-002021-26 — Atticus Administration: https://www.townenursesettlement.com/faqs-2/
• Long Form Notice of Class Action Settlement: https://www.townenursesettlement.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Long-Form-Notice.pdf
• Settlement Documents page (Memorandum of Law and full Settlement Agreement): https://www.townenursesettlement.com/settlement-documents/
• Trafficking Victims Protection Act, forced labor provisions, 18 U.S.C. § 1589 — U.S. Government Publishing Office: https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/18/1589

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the official settlement FAQ, Long Form Notice, and federal statute on July 18, 2026. Last Updated: July 18, 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.