Pittsburgh-area McDonald’s franchisee to pay family of 14-year-old rape victim more than $4M

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A local McDonald’s franchisee will pay more than $4 million to the family of 14-year-old employee who was raped in the restaurant by the store manager.

That manager is a convicted sex offender.

It’s a very large settlement and attorney Alan Perer said he hopes it sends a message to McDonald’s restaurants across the country to provide a safe environment for its employees.

Perer announced the settlement at a news conference on Monday morning.

In a settlement, the owner of eight McDonald’s franchises Rice Enterprises, a limited liability corporation in Bethel Park, has agreed to pay $4.35 million to the family of the 14-year-old girl.

In the lawsuit, the family said that McDonald’s and its franchisee knew — of should have known — that Walter A. Garner, a 42-year-old manager, was a convicted sex offender when he raped the employee in the restaurant bathroom.

“How is it that a convicted, registered sex offender is permitted to be hired and manage 14- to 17-year-old girls at a McDonalds?” Perer said. “This question is especially pertinent because McDonald’s aggressively recruits young teens for their first, best job.”

The settlement is with Rice Enterprises, which Perer says will now sell all of its eight restaurants to compensate the family.

McDonald’s USA is not being held responsible, but Perer says the worldwide corporation should adopt protocols to govern the hiring practices of its franchises. Perer says the settlement should send that message.

“Had we gone to a jury trial, a jury would have found that where a company, McDonalds, actively recruits 14-, 15-, 16-year-old girls for their first, best job and controls every detail of what goes on in over 30,000 franchise restaurants down to how much ketchup you put on a burger, they would be held responsible with the franchise McDonalds,” Perer said.

McDonald’s USA released a statement, noting that it is not part of this settlement. 

“This settlement was reached between Rice Enterprises and the plaintiff. McDonald’s is not a signatory, and was released from any legal claims on this topic.”