TAMPA, Fla. (Legal Newsline) — A Florida restaurant is facing a lawsuit claiming it refused to serve a minor with autism and asked him and his caretakers to leave the business.
R.S., a minor by and through his mother and next friend filed a complaint April 21 in Hillsborough County Circuit Court against Ford's Garage Westchase LLC, alleging violation of the Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992 and other claims.
According to the plaintiffs' complaint Ford's Garage operates a restaurant in Tampa. They allege R.S., who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, was at the restaurant on Jan. 15, 2022, as part of his "Applied Behavioral Analysis" therapy that includes visiting restaurants to work on sitting and trying new food items.
The plaintiffs claim that after R.S. began to cry, another customer approached the table and began to yell and curse at R.S. and his therapists. They allege that the manager of the restaurant told them they could stay if they could keep R.S. quiet and that he and his therapists were eventually asked to leave in violation of disability discrimination laws.
The plaintiffs claim R.S. was denied service based on his disability, denied a reasonable accommodation and deprived of his civil rights.
The plaintiffs seek monetary relief, interest, trial by jury and all other just relief. They are represented by Gregory Schmitz and Jolie Pavlos of Morgan and Morgan in Orlando.
13th Judicial Circuit Court - Hillsborough County case number 171495022