(MENAFN- Live Mint) Patty DeMint and Michelle Robey, known around Medford, New York , as the“DQ Sisters,” faced a legal nightmare they never saw coming in 2019.

The siblings, business partners, and self-proclaimed ice cream fanatics, opened their Dairy Queen franchise in 2017 with one goal: to build a place where everyone felt welcome.

They hired locals, single parents, teens, and even people with criminal records.“Whether you are a felon, whether you are misplaced, whether you are 80 years old, whether you are 14,” DeMint told CBS News,“everyone needs a place to call home.” But by 2019, their sweet dream melted fast.

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$6 million lawsuit filed against“DQ” sisters in 2019

A former employee filed a lawsuit under a nearly century-old New York law - the Frequency of Pay rule - which requires“manual workers” to be paid weekly, not biweekly. The sisters said they had never even heard of the law.

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“We knew we paid every employee every dime that they were owed,” Robey said. But that didn't matter. They were suddenly facing a $6 million lawsuit .

The claim accused them of withholding wages and overtime, even though employees were paid in full, just every two weeks. Lawyers argued it was a“technical violation.” Labor attorney Howard Wexler told CBS that such cases had become a“gotcha” tactic.

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Fearing they would lose everything - their shop, their homes - the sisters settled for $450,000. CBS reported that after lawyer and legal fees ($305,000), each worker received about $200.“The employees are getting pennies on the dollar,” Robey said, adding that these lawsuits do not help the employees but the lawyers instead.

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“DQ Sisters” helped change this loophole

The sisters, instead of walking away, fought back -but not in court. They pushed lawmakers to rewrite the rule that had blindsided them.

By May 2025, New York amended the law , reducing penalties for businesses that pay biweekly to just the interest owed on late wages. Too late to save their $450,000 payout, but enough to save others from the same fate.

The story did not end there. A loyal employee launched a GoFundMe, calling the pair“surrogate mothers when life gets tough.”

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Now, the“DQ Sisters” are back behind the counter, serving Blizzards with a side of hard-won wisdom.

FAQsWho are the“DQ Sisters”?

Patty DeMint and Michelle Robey - sisters who co-own a Dairy Queen franchise in Medford, New York.

Why were they sued for $6 million?

A former employee sued under a New York law requiring manual workers to be paid weekly, not biweekly.

What happened with the lawsuit?

They settled out of court for $450,000, though employees received only small payments after legal fees.

Did they help change the law?

Yes. After their case, they worked with lawmakers to fix the loophole so future employers would not face the same penalty.

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