The Salvation Army must face wage-and-hour claims brought by participants in its residential adult rehabilitation programs after a federal judge in Illinois found the plaintiffs may be able to prove they were employees.

In a Jan. 31 opinion, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division denied the Salvation Army’s motion to dismiss a complaint alleging it has violated the Fair Labor Standards Act and related state wage-and-hour laws for years by failing to pay minimum wage to the plaintiffs, and others, who live and work in its adult rehabilitation centers.