Former Employee Sues Owners of Dyersville McDonald's

By Katie Wiedemann, Reporter

Tools

By Becky Ogann

Story Created: Aug 19, 2008 at 4:02 PM CST

Story Updated: Aug 20, 2008 at 9:19 AM CST

DUBUQUE COUNTY - A Dubuque County man is suing the owners of a McDonald's restaurant in Dyersville.

He claims while working there he was harassed, denied a promotion and then fired partly because of his sexual orientation.

In the lawsuit, former employee Dan Carver says he was fired from this McDonald's restaurant for being gay.

Carver filed accusations of employment discrimination and physical disability discrimination against the owners.

The lawsuit suggests Carver's physical disability is that he is HIV positive.

In a written complaint Carver says he had a doctor's approval indicating it was safe for him to work at McDonald's.

He went on to say that when he they hired him, they promised him a promotion to become a manager. But he says once his employer found out he is gay and HIV positive, they denied him that promotion.

He also said he burnt his hand on a grill at the restaurant but claims he did not receive medical attention from the company like any other employee without HIV would have received.

Carver says after that happened, they fired him. TV9 spoke on the phone with Carver about the lawsuit. But his attorney told him not to talk on camera about the situation.

Carver is asking for compensation of lost wages, emotional distress, and attorney fees.

A spokesperson for Karpinski Enterprises, the owner of the McDonald's in Dyersville, says Carver's accusations are unfounded. The company says its has management staff that has been with McDonald's for decades, and those managers take good care of their employees.

View section of written complaint.

View lawsuit.

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