Family Kicked Out Of Golden Corral Restaurant Over Children's Skin Disorder

[thucythucy]

97. This is for all those who cite the manager having to worry

about other customers getting worried, offended, disgusted, and walking out, as a reason for denying this family service.

Prejudice, squeamishness, and ignorance are no excuse or justification for discrimination.

The same sort of reasoning ("I might lose customers&quot was used to justify Jim Crow, and was used historically to deny people with all manner of disability access to public accommodations, including restaurants, public pools, motels and hotels, etc. In fact, there used to be laws in some cities (Chicago, for instance) denying people with particular disabilities the right to be out in public at all. And it wasn't all that long ago that the general public was freaked out just at the sight of someone in a power wheelchair, or someone with a guide cane, or someone using American Sign Language. People who drooled, people who were missing limbs, people with speech disorders were routinely denied service because "you're disgusting to look at and you'll drive my other customers away."

This is precisely why the ADA was written and passed--to put an end to discrimination that came out of superstition, ignorance, fear.

I don't know how this particular case will be resolved, but it's very important, I think, that people understand that just because the sight of a particular disability makes you or others uncomfortable is no reason to discriminate against someone with that particular disability or illness.

The ADA does contain provisions dealing with infectious diseases, so I assume the court will have to decide, on the basis of testimony and the law and established precedent, whether this particular manager violated the law or not. But in general, being "unsightly" (the term often used) is no longer a valid excuse for denying someone the right to a public accommodation.

Best wishes.