LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - McDonald's restaurant has agreed to pay $2,000 each to two Indianapolis men who complained that they were subjected to anti-gay slurs and discrimination when they visited a McDonald's restaurant on East Market Street in Louisville last year.
The company also will require diversity training for managers at 30 Louisville restaurants, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, which announced the settlement yesterday.
The ACLU had filed a complaint with the Louisville Human Relations Commission on behalf of the two men, Ryan Marlatt and Teddy Eggers, alleging that the comments of an employee at the McDonald's restaurant violated Louisville's Fairness Ordinance, which bans discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Both men said they were pleased with the settlement.
"The reason we made such a big deal out of this to begin with was because we didn't want it happening to anyone else," Eggers said in a statement released by the ACLU.
The two men alleged that an employee referred to them as "faggots" and used other derogatory terms after they ordered food. When they protested to a manager, she said she didn't see the matter as a "big deal," they said.
A company statement yesterday said that the matter has been resolved and that McDonald's has strict policies against any discrimination in its restaurants.
"We work with our restaurant managers and crew to ensure our policies are followed and that we provide a respectful environment for all our employees and customers," the statement said.
Michael Aldridge, executive director of the ACLU in Kentucky, said his organization decided to file the complaint after Marlatt and Eggers said they had attempted without success to contact the restaurant and McDonald's officials.
Initially, all the men asked for was a refund of the $28 they and some friends spent at the restaurant and an apology, Aldridge said.
Aldridge said he was pleased with McDonald's response and said results show the value of the Fairness Ordinance.
"We're lucky we have protection in Louisville," he said.
Lexington and Covington also have similar ordinances.
from The Courier-Journal
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