Diggs Bar and Grill - Mason, OH discriminating against service animals.
Businesses open to the public don’t get to pick and choose which laws they’ll follow based on personal opinion. They can’t ignore labor laws, health codes, fire codes, food safety regulations, occupancy limits, wage laws, or discrimination laws because they “disagree” with them… and the ADA is no different.
Businesses generally cannot legally demand “papers” or medical documentation for a service dog under the ADA. Staff are limited in what they can ask.
And before anyone asks… yes, restaurants have health standards, policies, and business practices. But under the ADA, service dogs are allowed in restaurants and public establishments even where pets are normally prohibited. And yes, people may have allergies or concerns — but allergies and fear of dogs alone generally are not valid reasons to deny access or refuse a legitimate service animal. Businesses are expected to try to reasonably accommodate everyone involved.
Service dogs assist people with epilepsy, diabetes, mobility disabilities, PTSD, cardiac conditions, autism, and many other disabilities. They are not considered pets.
For businesses that decide to play “my business, my rules” with federal disability law… that mindset can get expensive fast. ADA violations can lead to complaints, investigations, lawsuits, legal fees, settlements, mandatory policy changes, bad press, and civil penalties that can reach tens of thousands of dollars… with higher penalties for repeat violations. A restaurant paid $25,000 in a discrimination case/settlement/damages for making a veteran and service dog leave. 👀
Turns out running a public establishment comes with legal responsibilities… not optional suggestions. 🤪
(Not bashing the business, but my personal experience hasn’t been great the two times I went — my wings were cold and not great. I believe the community should be aware of situations involving disability rights and ADA compliance. This is a bad look for the City of Mason, especially because we have many people who come here visiting and they may assume this is how businesses operate. ADA laws are in place for a reason, and I’m asking the admins to keep this post so we can educate, raise awareness, and hopefully make this community better.)
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTBdw7Erw/ - link to video! warning explicit language