McD’s Settles Different Kind of Obesity Suit
By George Anderson
When you hear McDonald’s is being sued again, you almost immediately think the chain is being hit with another nuisance suit by a super-sized consumer who treats every drive-thru
window as if it were a mandatory stop on a toll road.
This time however, the suit filed by a 420-pound man against the fast food chain wasn’t thrown out-of-court by a judge, it was settled between the parties, reports Reuters.
The suit alleged the man, Joseph O’Connor, was denied a job working in a McDonald’s because of his weight.
Had the suit gone to court and McDonald’s lost, the company could have been liable for up to $300,000 under the American with Disabilities Act. Terms of the settlement were not
released.
Moderator’s Comment: Should a retail operation be permitted to not hire an applicant because of appearance?
Under most circumstances, we would argue that if a person should get the job if they can do it better than other qualified applicants. With all the heat,
McDonald’s has been taking over the obesity issue, we just can’t see how any manager would hire a 420-pound person to work behind the counter. [George
Anderson – Moderator]