McDonalds Loses Its Discrimination Suit

McDonald's Corp. has been found guilty for the second time of HIV discrimination when a Cleveland jury ruled in July that the fast-food giant illegally forced an HIV-positive man out of his job. Russell Rich of Akron, Ohio, a 21-year McDonald's employee, was awarded $490,000 in damages in his second trial against the company; he was awarded $5 million in a 2001 trial, but that decision was overturned on appeal and a retrial was ordered. Rich's attorney says she plans to appeal the amount of damages to seek a greater fine against the restaurant chain. McDonald's attorneys, calling the lawsuit 'baseless and without merit,' say they also may appeal the decision.