A California childcare facility is embroiled in a legal battle with a parent over allegations of extortion, defamation, and emotional distress. On March 4, 2025, Liu Yang and Wegrow School California LLC filed a complaint in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco against Al Hariri. The plaintiffs accuse Hariri of civil extortion, defamation (libel per se), intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, intentional interference with contract and prospective economic advantage, and violation of Penal Code § 496.
The conflict began when Hariri enrolled his child at the childcare facility in July 2023. By May 2024, Hariri allegedly began harassing the facility with demands that included placing staff on administrative leave and prohibiting teachers from speaking Mandarin even during personal time. On August 13, 2024, Hariri demanded a $2,500 refund plus tuition fees totaling $3,000 upon withdrawing his child from the school. When reminded about the one-month notice requirement for refunds, he threatened to post negative reviews unless refunded immediately. Plaintiffs allege they paid $1,000 out of fear but still faced disparaging online reviews orchestrated by Hariri.
In January 2025, Hariri reportedly demanded an additional $5,000 to remove these negative reviews. The plaintiffs claim this behavior has caused significant harm to their business reputation and personal well-being. "Defendant Hariri's actions constitute extortion," states the complaint. The plaintiffs seek general and special damages beyond the court's jurisdictional minimum as well as punitive damages for what they describe as "despicable" conduct.
Liu Yang and Wegrow School California LLC are represented by Seong Kim from Demidchik Law Firm PC. They are seeking injunctive relief to stop further harassment and defamatory statements by Hariri along with treble damages under Penal Code § 496(c). The case is presided over by Judge Sahar Enayati under Case ID CGC-25-622950.