[nagdu] $50,000 Settlement Reached in Service Animal Litigation

[Ginger Kutsch]

$50,000 Settlement Reached in Service Animal Litigation

Patric LeHouillier, an attorney practicing in Colorado Springs,
Colorado, has reached a settlement agreement with the United
States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The
plaintiff Joan Murnane is a veterinarian, who was prohibited from
bringing her service dog into the attorney's office during a
deposition. Mrs. Murnane and the EEOC filed a lawsuit in the U.S.
District Court for the District of Colorado after a December 2006
event where Mr. LeHouillier demanded that Mrs. Murnane provide
documentation about her need for the dog. Mr. LeHouillier
allegedly did not allow entry for the service dog because it
would soil or otherwise ruin the firm's carpeting. The consent
decree for the settlement was signed on March 29, 2010. Under the
terms of the agreement, Mr. LeHouillier will pay $30,000 to Mrs.
Murnane, $10,000 to her husband who was also denied entry to the
law offices, and $10,000 to the EEOC. Mr. Lehouillier will also
be required to post a sign at his office that states "Service
Animals Welcome" as part of the agreement. Nonetheless, Mr.
LeHouillier denies any violation of the Americans with
Disabilities Act and instead claims that he settled the case
solely for financial reasons.

Full story: Mike Scarcella, Dogged by Lawsuit After Barring
Service Animal from Office, Lawyer Settles for $50k, National Law
Journal, April 1, 2010, available at

 <http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202447270772>
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202447270772