Murfreesboro Restaurant Agrees to Pay $352,000 to Settle Allegations it Violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by Discriminating Against Children with Disabilities Just After the Anniversary of the ADA

NASHVILLE – United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee announced today that the United States has reached an agreement with Good Times Restaurants, Inc. to resolve allegations that it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). Good Times is alleged to have denied service to a group of children who use wheelchairs and their parents who were in Murfreesboro, Tennessee to attend a youth wheelchair basketball tournament. As part of the settlement, Good Times has agreed to pay eight families a sum of $34,000 each, and a civil penalty of $80,000, for a total settlement payment of $352,000.

In addition to monetary relief under the settlement, the agreement also requires Good Times to adopt new ADA compliance measures, including new policies at its restaurants and ADA compliance training for its employees.

The United States alleged that restaurant staff at Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar in Murfreesboro, which is owned by Good Times, refused to seat and serve a group of parents and their minor children who use wheelchairs, claiming that the group was a fire hazard. The families were visiting Murfreesboro to attend a youth wheelchair basketball tournament. The parents offered to sit in separate groups even though the restaurant was less than half full at the time. Multiple other patrons walked out of the restaurant after observing the conduct of the restaurant employees toward the parents and children. After the restaurant refused to seat them, the group ate at another restaurant in Murfreesboro without issue.

“Children using wheelchairs should be able to eat at restaurants just like anybody else,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. “We are committed to protecting the civil rights of children with disabilities, including the right to be free from discrimination by restaurants and other public accommodations. The settlement announced today does just that for the children denied service by Bad Daddy’s.”

Title III of the ADA prohibits public accommodations, such as restaurants, from discriminating against people on the basis of disability, or their association with an individual with a disability, in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods or services offered.

Assistant United States Attorneys Michael C. Tackeff and Emily Harake in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee investigated the complaint and negotiated the Settlement Agreement in collaboration with the Disability Rights Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

The civil claims settled by this Settlement Agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

The ADA was passed on July 26, 1990, 34 years ago last week. The Act reaffirmed our nation’s commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities have the right to live, work, and full participate in the community alongside their fellow citizens.

More information about the ADA is available at the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TTY) and via the ADA website at http://www.ada.gov or through contacting the U.S. Attorney’s civil rights hotline at 313-226-9151. ADA complaints may be filed by email to ada.complaint@usdoj.gov.

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