Massachusetts Superior Court, hampden SS

Hultine v. City of Chicopee

Civil Action No. 2579-cv-00038

A Massachusetts court authorized this notice.  This is not a solicitation from a lawyer.

• A Settlement has been reached with the City of Chicopee (“Chicopee”) in a class action lawsuit about violations of the Massachusetts Wage Act.
• Chicopee has denied the allegations but has agreed to settle the case to avoid the burden, expense, inconvenience, and uncertainty of continued litigation.
• Chicopee has agreed to pay up to a maximum of $$269,662.04 (the “Settlement Amount”) to cover payments to approximately 42 class members, attorneys’ fees and costs, service awards and to additionally pay the cost of administering the settlement.
• According to the formula described below in section 6, the Settlement provides you with an estimated payment. The estimated payment should be mailed to you in approximately seven months.
• The Court has approved this notice and authorized that it be sent to you.  The Court in charge of this case still has to decide whether to grant final approval of the Settlement.  Payments will only be made if the Court grants final approval of the Settlement and after any appeals are resolved.  Please be patient.

Your legal rights are affected even if you do nothing.  Please read this notice carefully. These rights and options—and the deadlines to exercise them—are explained in this notice.

Your Legal Rights And Options In This Settlement

Object

Serve an Objection if you don’t like the Settlement. Deadline: June 5, 2026

Do Nothing

Get a presently estimated payment. Give up rights

Basic Information

1.  Why is there a notice?

A Court has authorized this notice because you have a right to know about a proposed Settlement of this class action lawsuit and about all of your options before the Court decides whether to give final approval to the Settlement.  This notice explains the lawsuit, the Settlement, and your legal rights.

Judges in the Massachusetts Superior Court are overseeing this case.  This litigation is known as Hultine v. City of Chicopee No. 2579-cv-00038.  The person who sued the City of Chicopee is called the “Plaintiff.”  Chicopee is the “Defendant.”

2.  What is this lawsuit about?

The lawsuit is about whether Chicopee violated wage and hour laws relating to the payment of wages.

3.  Why is this a class action?

In a class action, one or more people called “class representatives” sue on behalf of themselves and other people with similar claims.  All of these people together are the “class” or “class members.”  In this case, the proposed Class Representative is Nicholas Hultine.  One court resolves the issues for all Class Members.

4.  Why is there a Settlement?

By agreeing to settle, both sides avoid the cost and risk of a trial, and the people affected will get a chance to receive compensation.  The Class Representative and her attorneys think the Settlement is best for all Class Members.  The Settlement does not mean that Chicopee did anything wrong, and Chicopee denies that it did anything wrong. 

Who Is Part Of The Settlement?

If you received this notice of the Settlement in the mail, then you are a Class Member.  But even if you did not receive a notice, you may be a Class Member, as described below.

5.  How do I know if I am part of the Settlement?

In order to be part of the Settlement, you must meet the following class definition as set forth in the Settlement Agreement:

• “All persons who are or were employed by the City of Chicopee and worked as student police officers from January 15, 2019 through February 28, 2025.”

Five individuals previously settled and released their claims and are excluded from the Settlement Class.

The Settlement Benefits

6.  What does the Settlement provide?

Under the Settlement, Chicopee will pay an amount to each Class Member pro rata based on their potential damages during the period of January 15, 2019 through February 28, 2025 as reflected in Chicopee’s payroll records.  Chicopee will also pay the costs to administer the Settlement as well as attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses, and the incentive award payment to the Class Representative who helped with the lawsuit, subject to the limits set forth in the Settlement Agreement. 

7.  How much will my Settlement Class Payment be?

Contact the administrator for details at CPD@OPTIMEADMIN.COM.

8.  When will I receive my payment?

Payments will be sent to Class Members after the Court grants final approval to the Settlement and after any appeals are resolved.  If there are appeals, resolving them can take time.  Please be patient.

9.  What am I giving up to receive a payment?

You will give up your right to sue Chicopee for the claims being resolved by this Settlement.  In that regard, upon the occurrence of the Effective Date of the Settlement (as defined in the Settlement Agreement), and once Chicopee has paid the Gross Settlement Fund amounts in full, each Settlement Class Member—including those who the amount of their settlement checks are remitted to the Unclaimed Property Fund of the Massachusetts state Treasury or to any cy pres recipient(s) in accordance with the terms of the Settlement Agreement as approved by the Court—will release the Released Parties (as defined in the Settlement Agreement), The Settlement Agreement describes the released claims with specific descriptions, so read it carefully.  If you have any questions you can visit the settlement website at CPDWageLitigation.com  or communicate with Class Counsel for free at:

Jeffrey S. Morneau, Esq.
Connor & Morneau, LLP
136 Dwight Road,
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Tel: 413-455-1730
Email: jmorneau@cmolawyers.com

You can, of course, talk to your own lawyer if you have questions about what this means.

How To Receive A Payment

10.  How can I receive a payment?

A payment will be mailed to you if the Court approves the Settlement.

The Lawyers Representing You

11.  Do I have a lawyer in the case?

Yes.  The Court appointed the following law firm as “Class Counsel”: Connor & Morneau, LLP.  You will not be charged by these lawyers.  If you want to be represented by your own lawyer, you may hire one at your own expense. 

12.  How will the lawyers be paid?

Class Counsel will ask the Court for attorneys’ fees and expense of up to $65,000.  The Court will decide the amount of fees and expenses to award.  Class Counsel will also request that an incentive award of $3,500 be paid, from the Settlement, to Nicholas Hultine, the proposed Class Representative, for his service as representative on behalf of the whole Class.

Objecting To The Settlement

13.  How can I tell the Court if I do not like the Settlement?

You can object to the Settlement if you don’t like some part of it.  The Court will consider your views.  To object, you must submit a letter to the Settlement Administrator and Class Counsel (see Question 14) that includes the following:

• The name, court and docket number of the lawsuit (Hultine v. City of Chicopee, Hampden Superior Court, Civ. No.2579-cv-00038
• Your full name, address, and telephone number;

You must mail your objection to the following address, and your objection must be postmarked by June 5, 2026:

SETTLEMENT ADMINISTRATOR
Chicopee Police Department Settlement
c/o Optime Administration, LLC
PO Box 3206, Brockton, MA 02304
Phone: 844-625-7313
Fax: 781-287-0381
Email: CPD@optimeadmin.com

14.  What is objecting?

Objecting is simply telling the Court that you don’t like something about the Settlement. By objecting to the Settlement, a Class Member does not waive or otherwise lose any rights to receive benefits under the Settlement Agreement. However, a Class Member separately seeking and obtaining such relief will still be bound by and deemed to have agreed to the terms of the Settlement Agreement even if he or she makes an objection, unless the Court orders otherwise.

The Final Fairness Hearing

The Court may, but is not required to, hold a Final Fairness Hearing to decide whether to grant final approval of the Settlement and any requests for fees and expenses.  If so, you may attend and you may ask to speak, but you do not have to.

15.  When and where will the Court decide whether to approve the Settlement?

If the Court chooses to hold a Fairness Haring, it will occur at 2:00 p.m. on August 25, 2026, at the Hampden County Superior Court, 50 State Street, Springfield, MA 01103.  At this hearing, the Court will again consider whether the Settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate.  If there are objections, the Court will consider them and may listen to people at the hearing.  The Court may also decide how much Class Counsel will be paid from the Settlement.  After the hearing, the Court will decide whether to grant final approval of the Settlement.  We do not know how long these decisions will take.

16.  Do I have to attend the hearing?

No.  Class Counsel will answer questions the Court may have.  But, you are welcome to attend at your expense.  If you submit an objection, you do not have to come to Court to talk about it.  As long as you mailed your written objection on time, the Court will consider it.  You may also have your own lawyer attend at your expense, but it is not necessary. 

17.  May I speak at the hearing?

You may ask the Court for permission to speak at the Final Fairness Hearing.   

Getting More Information

18.  How do I get more information?

This notice summarizes the proposed Settlement.  If you need more information, you may call the toll-free number of the Settlement Administrator at 844-625-7313, or visit the settlement administration website at CPDWageLitigation.com, where you will find a copy of the Complaint in this action, the Settlement Agreement, and other court filings.