Cascade Living Group, a senior living operator with about 30 communities across six western states, has been the defendant in two major wage-and-hour class actions and has also sued its own insurer over denied COVID-19 coverage. The largest Cascade Living Group lawsuit, a federal case brought by hourly workers in Washington and Oregon, settled for $1.1 million in February 2025. A parallel California class action settled for $850,000, and a Nevada case remains pending.
The $1.1 Million Federal Wage Settlement
Kastel, et al. v. Cascade Living Group Management, LLC was filed on May 10, 2023, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. Named plaintiffs Jordan Kastel and Stormie Hoy, both former hourly employees, sued on behalf of roughly 6,000 current and former non-exempt workers.1Justia. Kastel et al v. Cascade Living Group Management LLC, Final Approval Order
What Workers Alleged
The complaint accused Cascade of failing to pay overtime under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, violating Washington’s Minimum Wage Act and Wage Rebate Act, and violating parallel Oregon wage laws covering overtime, unpaid wages, unlawful paycheck deductions, and missed meal periods.2Simpluris. Kastel v. Cascade Living Group Management, LLC, Class Notice
Two allegations sat at the center of the case. First, non-exempt employees were required to stay on duty during what were supposed to be unpaid meal and rest breaks. Second, Cascade’s time-rounding practices consistently shorted workers’ recorded hours.1Justia. Kastel et al v. Cascade Living Group Management LLC, Final Approval Order
The Settlement
Cascade denied wrongdoing but agreed to a gross settlement of $1,100,000 to end the case. Attorneys’ fees took one-third ($366,666.67), plus $1,780 in costs, $7,500 service awards for each named plaintiff, and $44,108 in administration costs. A separate $100,000 was carved out as the FLSA Net Settlement Fund for workers who opted into the federal collective action. The rest formed the Class Net Settlement Fund, split among class members based on the number of workweeks each person had worked.2Simpluris. Kastel v. Cascade Living Group Management, LLC, Class Notice One-third of each individual payment was treated as wages (W-2), two-thirds as interest and penalties (1099).
Who Was Covered
The state-law class automatically included every hourly, non-exempt Cascade employee who worked in Oregon between May 10, 2017, and July 29, 2024, or in Washington between May 10, 2020, and July 29, 2024. Those workers received payment unless they affirmatively opted out; only two people did.3Cascade Living Settlement. Kastel v. Cascade Living Group Management, LLC, Settlement Website
The FLSA collective action ran the opposite way. It reached hourly workers in any U.S. state within three years of signing an opt-in consent, but participation required returning that form by November 12, 2024. In the end, 309 workers submitted valid opt-ins.1Justia. Kastel et al v. Cascade Living Group Management LLC, Final Approval Order
U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour granted final approval on February 11, 2025, and dismissed the case with prejudice.4CourtListener. Kastel v. Cascade Living Group Management LLC, Docket
The $850,000 California Class Action
A parallel case in California preceded Kastel. Laura Herrera, Valerie Chavez, et al. v. Cascade Living Group Management, LLC (Case No. 20STCV48606) was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court and covered non-exempt employees at Cascade’s California facilities, including sites in Hemet and Grass Valley, from December 21, 2016, through December 13, 2022.5CPT Group. Herrera v. Cascade Living Group, Notice of Class Action Settlement
The claims closely tracked the ones raised in Washington and Oregon: missed meal and rest periods, unpaid and untimely-paid wages, unpaid vacation at separation, inaccurate wage statements, unfair business practices, and civil penalties under California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA).5CPT Group. Herrera v. Cascade Living Group, Notice of Class Action Settlement
The parties settled for $850,000. Class counsel could seek up to 35% in fees and up to $25,000 in costs; the two named plaintiffs were each eligible for up to $10,000 in service awards. Of the total, $30,000 was set aside for PAGA penalties, with $22,500 going to the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency and the remaining $7,500 to affected employees. Individual payments were tied to the number of pay periods each class member worked.6CPT Group. Herrera v. Cascade Living Group, Settlement Agreement
The court granted preliminary approval on August 14, 2023, and set final approval for February 26, 2024.7CPT Group. Herrera v. Cascade Living Group, Preliminary Approval Order Available records do not confirm the outcome of that hearing.
Cascade’s COVID-19 Insurance Lawsuit
In March 2021, Cascade Living Group went to court as a plaintiff. The company sued its insurer, Continental Casualty Company (a CNA Financial subsidiary), in King County Superior Court, seeking at least $18 million in pandemic-related coverage.8Crowell & Moring. Cascade Living Group v. Continental Casualty Company, Complaint
According to the complaint, the virus reached 24 Cascade communities, sickened roughly 424 residents, and caused 38 deaths. The company said it spent heavily on additional staffing, temporary workers, personal protective equipment, deep cleaning, room-service dining, and quarantine areas. Continental Casualty denied the claim in June 2020, taking the position that the pandemic was not a “direct physical loss of or damage to property” under the policy.8Crowell & Moring. Cascade Living Group v. Continental Casualty Company, Complaint
Cascade alleged violations of Washington’s Consumer Protection Act, arguing the insurer failed to reasonably investigate and unreasonably denied all benefits. The case was later removed to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.9McKnight’s Senior Living. Senior Living Group Claims Insurer Reneged on Coverage Agreement The outcome is not reflected in available records. Most COVID-19 business-interruption claims filed in Washington and elsewhere failed after courts read the “direct physical loss” language to exclude pandemic-related closures.
Pending Cases
At least one Cascade case remains active. Blanche Sherr v. Cascade Living Group (Case No. CU0002477) appeared on a Nevada court calendar in April 2026, with a motion for trial preference continued to May 22, 2026, alongside a motion to compel arbitration.10Nevada Courts. Department 6 Civil Tentative Rulings The nature of the underlying claims is not detailed in available records.