One for the CV
A blind law student has won a legal battle against McDonald’s after he was told to leave because he had his guide dog with him.
Fraser Kane, who is in his third year at Strathclyde University, was left “completely distraught” and “shaking” after he was asked to leave the Paddington branch in August last year, along with his seven-year-old guide dog Nelson.
“As I went to sit down and bent over to undo Nelson’s harness I heard someone shout at me: ‘No dogs! Get out. You’re not allowed to be here’,” Kane told the Times newspaper. “He was aggressive, loud and very arrogant to the circumstances. I was completely distraught. I was shaking. The embarrassment of it left me frustrated that this has happened.”
Kane was completing a summer placement in the Oxford office of national outfit Freeths but had travelled to London with Nelson to visit a friend.
Having been told by human rights groups that he did not have grounds to bring a claim for disability discrimination, the law student took matters into his own hands — with positive results.
The newspaper reports the 21-year-old, who has Stargardt’s disease, has now thrashed out a financial settlement with McDonald’s worth up to £8,600 “in accordance with case law regarding injury to feelings”. The actual figure has not been disclosed.
A spokesperson for McDonald’s said: “We pride ourselves on being an inclusive and welcoming business, and would like to apologise to Mr Kane for his experience, which was unacceptable. We have taken this extremely seriously, and been in conversation with Mr Kane to find a resolution and ensure he is satisfied with the actions we have subsequently taken.”
They continued: “The employee working at the time has been given additional training and the restaurant team more widely has been reminded of our guidance in this area.”