Fiedler v. American Multi-Cinema
United States District Court for the District of Columbia
871 F. Supp. 35 (1994)
- Written by Alexander Hager-DeMyer, JD
Facts
Marc Fiedler (plaintiff) was a movie-goer who used a wheelchair. When Fiedler went to the Avenue Grand, a theater owned by American Multi-Cinema, Inc. (AMC) (defendant), only two wheelchair seats were available, both in the last row of the theater, farthest away from the screen. Avenue Grand was located in a building owned and leased by the Department of Transportation, an executive agency. Fiedler filed suit in federal district court, arguing, among other claims, that AMC’s wheelchair seating in the Avenue Grand violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by depriving him of the full and equal enjoyment of the facilities. AMC moved for summary judgment, arguing that (1) the ADA did not apply to the building because it was leased by the federal government; (2) even under ADA compliance, dispersed wheelchair seating was not required because of an exception in the Department of Justice regulations for ADA implementation; and (3) the ADA did not require equivalent treatment between disabled and nondisabled patrons if equivalent treatment would constitute a direct threat to health and safety.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Jackson, J.)
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