[email protected] SHAYNE C. STEVENSON (Pro Hac Vice)
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Case 3:15-cv-00660-CAB-RBB Document 33 Filed 08/21/15 Page 1 of 99 1 STEVE W. BERMAN (pro hac vice) [email protected] 2 SHAYNE C. STEVENSON (pro hac vice) 3 [email protected] ROBERT F. LOPEZ (pro hac vice) 4 [email protected] HAGENS BERMAN SOBOL SHAPIRO LLP 5 1918 Eighth Avenue, Suite 3300 6 Seattle, WA 98101 Telephone: (206) 623-7292 7 Facsimile: (206) 623-0594 8 ELAINE T. BYSZEWSKI (SBN 222304) [email protected] 9 HAGENS BERMAN SOBOL SHAPIRO LLP 10 301 N. Lake Avenue, Suite 203 Pasadena, CA 91101 11 Telephone: (213) 330-7150 Facsimile: (213) 330-7152 12 13 Attorneys for Plaintiffs and the Proposed Classes (Additional counsel listed on signature page) 14 15 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 16 SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 17 HOLLY HALL, PAUL DANNER, No. 3:15-cv-00660-CAB-RBB 18 VALERIE SIMO, JOYCE KUHL, and 19 ELAINE BROWNE, individually and on CLASS ACTION (FRCP 23) behalf of themselves and all others 20 similarly situated, FIRST CONSOLIDATED 21 AMENDED COMPLAINT Plaintiffs, 22 DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL 23 v. 24 SEAWORLD ENTERTAINMENT, 25 INC., 26 Defendant. 27 28 006222-13 782829 V1 Case 3:15-cv-00660-CAB-RBB Document 33 Filed 08/21/15 Page 2 of 99 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 Page 3 I. OVERVIEW ....................................................................................................... 1 4 II. PARTIES ............................................................................................................ 4 5 III. JURISDICTION AND VENUE ......................................................................... 6 6 IV. FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS ............................................................................. 6 7 A. SeaWorld Markets an Enchanting Illusion of Happy and Healthy Captive Killer Whales. ............................................................... 6 8 B. SeaWorld Represents Itself as the Whales’ Greatest 9 Champion. .............................................................................................. 10 10 C. SeaWorld Claims to Provide Critical Orca Conservation Research. ................................................................................................ 13 11 D. The Biology of Orcas ............................................................................. 17 12 1. Distinct orca ecotypes exist in all the oceans of the 13 world. ........................................................................................... 17 14 2. Orcas are highly communicative, intelligent, and social. ........................................................................................... 19 15 3. Orcas are organized in close-knit matriarchies. .......................... 20 16 4. Orcas in nature can live long, healthy lives. ................................ 21 17 E. The Undisclosed Truth About SeaWorld’s Captive Orcas .................... 22 18 1. SeaWorld’s family values ............................................................ 22 19 a. SeaWorld launches its business with 20 captured orcas. ................................................................... 22 21 b. SeaWorld destroys orca families and removes calves from their mothers for 22 profit. ................................................................................. 24 23 2. SeaWorld orcas’ living conditions in captivity ........................... 26 24 a. SeaWorld orcas suffer in tiny, unnatural, harmful chemical tanks. .................................................... 26 25 b. Shallow tanks expose SeaWorld’s captive 26 orcas to fatal risks. ............................................................. 32 27 c. SeaWorld hides its orcas’ sunburns with black zinc oxide. ................................................................ 34 28 -i- FIRST CONSOLIDATED AMENDED COMPLAINT 006222-13 782829 V1 Case 3:15-cv-00660-CAB-RBB Document 33 Filed 08/21/15 Page 3 of 99 1 d. SeaWorld purposefully deprives its captive orcas of food. ..................................................................... 34 2 3. SeaWorld’s captive orcas deteriorate as a result of 3 their treatment. ............................................................................. 36 4 a. SeaWorld’s captive orcas live shorter lives. ..................... 36 5 b. SeaWorld orcas’ collapsed dorsal fins are not normal or healthy. ....................................................... 39 6 c. SeaWorld’s captive orcas’ teeth are ground 7 down and damaged. ........................................................... 42 8 d. SeaWorld’s orcas are injured at SeaWorld’s parks. ................................................................................. 46 9 4. SeaWorld “science” and forced breeding .................................... 46 10 a. SeaWorld is not a scientific orca research 11 institution. .......................................................................... 46 12 b. SeaWorld impregnates its young female orcas with sperm from relatives and 13 different ecotypes. ............................................................. 47 14 c. SeaWorld trainers masturbate captive orcas for profitable sperm. .......................................................... 49 15 d. SeaWorld drugs its captive orcas. ..................................... 49 16 5. Established dangers that SeaWorld publicly denies .................... 50 17 a. SeaWorld trainers face known risks. ................................. 50 18 b. Aberrant orca behavior is caused by 19 confinement. ...................................................................... 53 20 F. The Documentary Blackfish Begins to Pull Back the Curtain on SeaWorld. ............................................................................. 54 21 G. The “Materiality” of SeaWorld’s Treatment of Orcas is 22 Confirmed by Polls and the Public Drop in Attendance Following Blackfish and the Continuing Controversy. .......................... 55 23 H. Popular Musicians Cancel SeaWorld Appearances and 24 Association. ............................................................................................ 57 25 I. Long-Standing SeaWorld Sponsors and Strategic Partners Jump Ship. ................................................................................ 59 26 J. To This Day SeaWorld Continues to Mislead and 27 Conceal Material Facts from Consumers About the Treatment and Condition of its Captive Orcas ...................................... 61 28 -ii- FIRST CONSOLIDATED AMENDED COMPLAINT 006222-13 782829 V1 Case 3:15-cv-00660-CAB-RBB Document 33 Filed 08/21/15 Page 4 of 99 1 K. Specific Plaintiff Allegations ................................................................. 68 2 L. SeaWorld Has a Duty to Disclose to Consumers its Treatment of Captive Orcas and their Actual Condition. ...................... 72 3 V. CLASS ACTION ALLEGATIONS ................................................................. 73 4 VI. CAUSES OF ACTION .................................................................................... 77 5 FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION 6 VIOLATIONS OF THE CALIFORNIA UNFAIR COMPETITION LAW (CAL. BUS. & PROF. CODE § 17200, et 7 seq.) ................................................................................................................... 77 8 SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION VIOLATIONS OF THE CONSUMERS LEGAL REMEDIES 9 ACT (CAL. CIV. CODE § 1750, et seq.) ............................................................. 79 10 THIRD CAUSE OF ACTION VIOLATIONS OF THE FALSE ADVERTISING LAW (CAL. 11 BUS. & PROF. CODE § 17500, et seq.) ............................................................... 81 12 FOURTH CAUSE OF ACTION DECEIT (CAL. CIV. CODE §§ 1709-1711) ...................................................... 83 13 FIFTH CAUSE OF ACTION 14 VIOLATIONS OF FLORIDA’S UNFAIR AND DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES ACT (FLA. STAT. § 501.201, et seq.) .......................... 85 15 SIXTH CAUSE OF ACTION 16 VIOLATIONS OF THE TEXAS DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES – CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT (TEX. BUS. 17 & COM. CODE § 17.41, et seq.) ......................................................................... 86 18 SEVENTH CAUSE OF ACTION UNJUST ENRICHMENT ................................................................................ 89 19 PRAYER FOR RELIEF ............................................................................................. 90 20 JURY DEMAND ........................................................................................................ 91 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 -iii- FIRST CONSOLIDATED AMENDED COMPLAINT 006222-13 782829 V1 Case 3:15-cv-00660-CAB-RBB Document 33 Filed 08/21/15 Page 5 of 99 1 Plaintiffs Holly Hall, Paul Danner, Valerie Simo, Joyce Kuhl, and Elaine 2 Browne bring this action on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated 3 against SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. (“SeaWorld”). Plaintiffs’ allegations against 4 Defendant are based upon information and belief and upon investigation of counsel, 5 except for allegations specifically pertaining to each Plaintiff, which are based upon 6 each Plaintiff’s personal knowledge. 7 I. OVERVIEW 8 1. SeaWorld is the most profitable marine life theme brand in the world. 9 Each SeaWorld theme park showcases killer whales—Ornicus orca, the mighty and 10 iconic apex predators of the sea—in special amphitheaters called Shamu Stadium that 11 seat thousands. During its signature “Shamu Show” and in its ubiquitous and decades- 12 long global marketing campaigns, SeaWorld states that it “cares for,” “protects,” and 13 “nurtures” its captive orcas. 14 2. SeaWorld purports to create a “fun, interesting, and stimulating” 15 environment for these animals.