JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The owners of Adventure Landing in Jacksonville Beach have been ordered to pay $151,606 in penalties for violating child labor laws, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Labor.
The Department of Labor says Adventure Landing was investigated by the Wage and Hour Division. The investigation showed that 14-year-olds and 15-year-olds were working at the park during late hours during the school year, which is prohibited under federal law, the DOL said. There were also 14-year-olds working on 'elevated' water slides without certification, which is illegal under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Teenagers are not permitted to work past 7 p.m. on weeknights or past 9 p.m. on Fridays between Labor Day and May 31, according to federal law. The DOL says teens were found to be working these hours at Adventure Landing during prohibited dates.
The DOL said Adventure Landing's owner, 1944 Beach Boulevard LLC, has signed a compliance agreement vowing to increase 'child labor safeguards' and prevent future transgressions.
This means they will "review and enhance training on child labor regulations," and make the training materials available to the DOL. As well, they have agreed to make sure managers report child labor violations, and they will provide a report to the DOL explaining how they will become compliant to child labor standards.
Adventure Landing was previously cited by the DOL in 2018. They were charged a $6,199 penalty for violations at one of its other locations in Pineville, N.C.
The violations included assigning eight 14-year-old and 15-year-old teens to work for longer than allowed during late hours, as well as one child performing 'prohibited work.'
First Coast News received the following statement from Adventure Landing on the matter:
"Adventure Landing is devoted to creating opportunities for families to enjoy themselves as well as providing our youth with opportunities for employment from which they learn valuable life skills that will serve them well. The Department of Labor conducted an audit which we fully cooperated with. We have taken prompt measures to make our compliance program even more robust and any opportunities for improvement have been addressed and resolved. We remain committed to our youth and creating the opportunities that are critical to keeping them on the right path."