MACON, Ga. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia announced today that it has come to a resolution with Askar Management Group, QSR Group Holdings, LLC, and QSR Southern Group, LLC (collectively, QSR, the owners and operators of Church’s Chicken #749 at 1801 Watson Boulevard, Warner Robins, Georgia), involving an allegation that it improperly excluded an individual with a disability accompanied by a service animal.The investigation began after the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia received a complaint from a veteran with a disability who uses a service animal. The complaint alleged that an employee at the Watson Boulevard location refused to serve the veteran unless his service animal was removed from the restaurant dining room, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.“Ensuring access for individuals with disabilities, including permitting service dogs, is required by the ADA.
Our office is dedicated to protecting these rights and ensuring proper accommodation for all,” said U.S. Attorney Will Keyes. “We appreciate the cooperation by the owners of this Church’s Chicken franchise in Warner Robins in resolving this matter and demonstrating their commitment to customer accessibility.”Under the Letter of Resolution, QSR has agreed to: adopt, maintain, implement and enforce a service animal policy; not discriminate against or provide unequal treatment to persons with disabilities who use service animals; provide training on the service animal policy to employees and managers; post the policy in public areas; and pay a $2,000 civil penalty to the United States. QSR cooperated with the government throughout the investigation.Under federal law, private entities that own or operate places of “public accommodation,” including restaurants and bars, are required to modify their policies, practices or procedures—such as a no pet policy—to permit the use of a service animal by an individual with a disability.
A service animal generally may go wherever the public is allowed, and a public accommodation may not require documentation about the service animal.ADA complaints may be made by contacting the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia at (478) 752-3511.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 on the ADA website at www.ada.gov.This matter was handled by Civil Chief W. Taylor McNeill and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Lance Simon, in coordination with the Disability Rights Section of the U.S.
Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. Civil Rights Investigative Specialist Danyelle D. White led the investigation for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.