About 1,456 part-time faculty who taught at Long Beach City College from April 2019 to August 2025 are covered by an $18 million settlement over unpaid grading, preparation and office hours, which the court has preliminarily approved. Payments are automatic with no claim form; the deadline to opt out, object or dispute credited hours is December 3, 2026.
What Is This About?
Two part-time instructors sued the Long Beach Community College District, which runs Long Beach City College, on April 4, 2022 in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The case is Roberts v. Long Beach Community College District, No. 22STCV11381. They alleged the district paid part-time faculty only for time spent teaching in the classroom, and not for required work outside it — preparing syllabi and lessons, grading, meeting with students, holding office hours and administrative tasks.The district agreed to pay $18 million to settle the case. Its board approved the deal in January 2026 and set aside $20 million for the settlement and related costs, EdSource reported in February. A district spokesperson said settling “allows the District to avoid prolonged litigation.”
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What the Court Ruled Before the Settlement
The case had already gone the adjuncts’ way before it settled. On February 18, 2025, ruling on cross-motions for summary judgment, Judge Stuart M. Rice held that the district’s part-time faculty are not exempt from California’s minimum wage requirements, because their pay does not meet the salary threshold for the professional exemption, and that the district violated those requirements by not paying faculty for hours worked outside the classroom. The ruling is quoted and attached in a July 2025 filing with California’s Public Employment Relations Board in a separate dispute.That ruling was stayed and was not a final judgment. A claim for civil penalties under California’s Private Attorneys General Act was dismissed because of limits on suing public entities, the California Teachers Association reported, while the core wage claims continued. The district has not admitted liability.
What the Court-Approved Notice Says
The official settlement website, run by the administrator Simpluris, went live with the court-approved notice. It says the court has preliminarily approved the settlement and that notice was mailed to class members on August 7, 2026. The class is part-time hourly instructional faculty who worked for the district from April 5, 2019 through August 25, 2025. Final approval has not been decided.How the $18 Million Is Divided
The district will pay $18,000,000 as the gross settlement. Before anything goes to faculty, class counsel will ask the court to approve deductions of up to $1,440,000 (8%) in attorneys’ fees plus up to $50,000 in litigation expenses, up to $20,000 for each of the two class representatives, and up to $16,000 for the administrator. The rest is divided among participating class members based on the Weekly Credit Hours each was assigned to teach during the class period, weighted by term to reflect increases in the California minimum wage.Each mailed notice lists that member’s credited Weekly Credit Hours and estimated payment. Plaintiffs’ attorney told the court, as reported by EdSource, that members would receive more than $11,000 each on average. Checks that are not cashed by their void date go to the California State Controller’s Unclaimed Property Fund in the member’s name.
Key Dates
- August 7, 2026 — notice mailed to class members
- December 3, 2026 — deadline to opt out, object, or dispute credited Weekly Credit Hours
- February 9, 2027, 10 a.m. — final approval hearing, Los Angeles County Superior Court
Why the Case Matters Beyond Long Beach
California community college districts rely heavily on part-time faculty, and more than 20 similar wage-and-hour suits are reportedly pending against other districts. Plaintiffs’ counsel told EdSource the case has already had a “major impact throughout the state,” as some districts negotiate contract terms to pay adjuncts for preparation and grading time.Questions
Who is covered by the Long Beach City College $18 million settlement?
The class is part-time hourly instructional faculty who worked for the Long Beach Community College District from April 5, 2019 through August 25, 2025, according to the court-approved notice. Plaintiffs’ counsel told the court the class has 1,456 members.
How much will each Long Beach City College adjunct receive?
Payments are based on each member’s Weekly Credit Hours during the class period, weighted for minimum wage increases, and each mailed notice states that member’s estimate. Plaintiffs’ counsel told the court, as reported by EdSource, that members would receive more than $11,000 each on average. Final amounts depend on the court’s approval of fees and costs.
Is there a claim form for the Long Beach City College adjunct settlement?
No. According to the court-approved notice, participating class members do not have to file a claim or fill out a form to be paid; payments are calculated from the district’s records. Members who believe their Weekly Credit Hours are wrong can dispute them by December 3, 2026, which is also the deadline to opt out or object.
Has the court approved the Long Beach City College settlement?
The court has granted preliminary approval, and notice was mailed August 7, 2026. Final approval has not been decided; the final approval hearing is set for February 9, 2027 at 10 a.m. in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
What did the court rule before the settlement?
On February 18, 2025, ruling on cross-motions for summary judgment, the court held that the district’s part-time faculty are not exempt from California’s minimum wage requirements and that the district violated those requirements by not paying for required work outside the classroom. That ruling was later stayed, and the case settled before any final judgment.
Sources
• Official settlement website and court-approved class notice (PDF) (accessed October 22, 2026)• EdSource — Long Beach Community College District to pay $18M to settle adjunct lawsuit (February 24, 2026), republished by the Long Beach Post
• California Public Employment Relations Board filing quoting Roberts v. Long Beach Community College District, No. 22STCV11381, and attaching the court’s February 18, 2025 ruling — PDF (July 29, 2025)
• California Teachers Association — LBCC CHI Part-time Faculty Lawsuit Update (April 9, 2026)
• Inside Higher Ed — Community College District Settles With Adjuncts (February 27, 2026)
