A Lancaster County (PA) man has filed a civil complaint, alleging discrimination on religious grounds, against a local restaurant that offers a 10 percent discount on Sundays to patrons who produce a bulletin or program to demonstrate their church attendance that day. (It appears, based upon information in the report by Cindy Stauffer of Lancaster Newspapers, that religious bulletins of any kind -- Jewish, Christian, etc...-- suffice to obtain the discount)
The complainant, Mr. John Wolff, has stated that he did not file the suit out of spite, but he has expressed annoyance toward the "self-righteous religious people" whom he calls neighbors. For its part, the restaurant considers the bulletin promotion to be more of a marketing strategy than anything else. Proprietor Sharon Prudhomme does not attend church, in fact.
Does this amount to discrimination at a place of public accommodation? In offering the discount, is Prudhomme's restaurant depriving people like Mr. Wolff of the "full enjoyment" of her business's amenities? These are interesting questions. The bulletin could be considered a type of coupon. Everyone is clearly invited to the restaurant to eat, but some have a ten percent discount coupon, while others do not. If their coupon showed up in a newspaper, would this amount to discrimination against those who could not or do not purchase the newspaper? Further, obtaining a religious bulletin does not require one to stay for the service. As to the issue of full enjoyment, Prudhomme is certainly not preventing Mr. Wolff from coming to her restaurant. She is not placing a special burden on him, but rather affording certain individuals a benefit. That benefit, however, could be viewed as imposing a burden on people in Mr. Wolff's class, which is a protected class at that. Will this suit succeed? Will it fail? Prudhomme and Wolff both appear ready to move forward to find out. Prudhomme notes: "I'm an American. This is an independent restaurant. I can do as I wish and I'm going to continue to offer the church-bulletin discount."
Visit http://www.ydr.com/local/ci_20996278/atheist-files-complaint-over-restaurants-sunday-promotion?source=most_viewed
The complainant, Mr. John Wolff, has stated that he did not file the suit out of spite, but he has expressed annoyance toward the "self-righteous religious people" whom he calls neighbors. For its part, the restaurant considers the bulletin promotion to be more of a marketing strategy than anything else. Proprietor Sharon Prudhomme does not attend church, in fact.
Does this amount to discrimination at a place of public accommodation? In offering the discount, is Prudhomme's restaurant depriving people like Mr. Wolff of the "full enjoyment" of her business's amenities? These are interesting questions. The bulletin could be considered a type of coupon. Everyone is clearly invited to the restaurant to eat, but some have a ten percent discount coupon, while others do not. If their coupon showed up in a newspaper, would this amount to discrimination against those who could not or do not purchase the newspaper? Further, obtaining a religious bulletin does not require one to stay for the service. As to the issue of full enjoyment, Prudhomme is certainly not preventing Mr. Wolff from coming to her restaurant. She is not placing a special burden on him, but rather affording certain individuals a benefit. That benefit, however, could be viewed as imposing a burden on people in Mr. Wolff's class, which is a protected class at that. Will this suit succeed? Will it fail? Prudhomme and Wolff both appear ready to move forward to find out. Prudhomme notes: "I'm an American. This is an independent restaurant. I can do as I wish and I'm going to continue to offer the church-bulletin discount."
Visit http://www.ydr.com/local/ci_20996278/atheist-files-complaint-over-restaurants-sunday-promotion?source=most_viewed
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