Canada: Steakhouse loses CD$12,000 human rights tribunal ruling after ignoring mysophobe’s requests

(calgaryherald.com) - In a case that raises questions about how far businesses should be obligated to accommodate customers’ needs, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has awarded $12,000 to a man with obsessive-compulsive disorder because his neighbourhood restaurant stopped fulfilling his special requests, including that his water be served without a lemon or straw.

The decision released this week found the man “suffered injury to his dignity, feelings, and self-respect” after the restaurant refused to make “very simple accommodations” and after the manager made “hurtful” comments to him.

One hospitality industry expert said the outcome did not surprise him and should serve as a warning to managers to be more attuned to their guests’ wishes.

“The door is open with respect to the risk of discriminating against people for any reason,” said Don Longchamps, a professor of hotel and restaurant management at Algonquin College in Ottawa.

“Responsibility (to accommodate) will never be lessened. It will only be increased with time.”

The complainant, identified only by his initials P.G., testified he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and germaphobia.