McDonald’s franchisee pays $440 to settle lawsuit from teenage girl who claims she was sexually assaulted in the restroom of a Pennsylvania-based restaurant by a manager who is a registered sex offender. agreed to pay $1,000.
The unidentified girl was 14 years old at the time of the 2021 attack, which occurred just four months after she was hired at the McDonald’s location in Bethel Park.
In January 2021, Walter A. Garner, now 44 years old and a registered sex offender for life in Pennsylvania, was already serving time for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl in 2003. Became the victim’s manager.
According to the lawsuit, which was earlier reported by local news sites, Tori liveImmediately after becoming his boss, Garner began sexually harassing the girl, using sexual innuendos, such as telling the girl, “I want you to have a happy meal.”
According to TribLIVE, Garner inappropriately touched the girl and continued to touch her despite her requests to stop, causing “severe emotional distress and anxiety,” the complaint states.
In February 2021, Garner followed the girl into the bathroom and pressed himself against her.
The girl and two others who worked at McDonald’s restaurants owned by Rice Enterprises told recruiters what had happened, according to the complaint.
Court documents also say the victim was not given any personnel information during orientation. The orientation session was led by a 17-year-old girl and consisted of watching a tutorial on how to hand out food to drive-thru customers. Trilive.
Rice Enterprises, the franchisee that owns eight Golden Arches restaurants in the Pittsburgh area, fired Garner after learning of the complaints and “provided full support to the affected employees,” the company said in a statement. he admitted to the magazine.
Garner later pleaded guilty to statutory sexual assault and other charges after prosecutors dropped the rape charge. He was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison in October 2021, TribLIVE reported.
In a statement to the magazine, Rice Enterprises added: “Since then, we have redoubled our efforts to provide a positive and respectful experience for all employees at our restaurants.” The company also noted that McDonald’s was not involved in the incident.
Rice Enterprises then sued Backgroundchecks.com LLC in May 2023, according to TribLIVE. The company is an online company used to conduct criminal background checks on candidates before hiring them.
When the franchisee paid to run Mr. Garner’s name on Backgroundchecks.com in July 2018, it was declared the industry’s #1 online criminal conviction based on analysis of publicly available sources. The site, which claims to be a “database,” states that “court documents obtained by TribLIVE indicate that Garner’s name was on the Pennsylvania Sex Offender Registry.”
“Importantly, the report shows that Mr. Garner has never been charged with or convicted of a criminal offense in any of the 50 states,” the complaint added.
According to TribLIVE, Rice Enterprises’ lawsuit alleges breach of contract, fraud and negligent misrepresentation.
The franchisee is also seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and is selling its portfolio of restaurants to raise a $4.4 million settlement, TribLIVE reported.
Alan Peller, an attorney representing Rice Enterprises and the unidentified victims, did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Meanwhile, the franchisee faces a similar lawsuit from a second teenage girl who claims Garner sexually harassed her while working at a Rice Enterprises-owned McDonald’s in November 2020. .
In the complaint, the plaintiffs called Garner “rude, domineering and hostile,” and said at one point he showed her child pornography, according to TribLIVE.
She is suing both McDonald’s and Rice Enterprises in federal court in Pittsburgh, alleging a hostile work environment and negligent employment practices.
