HEARNE, Texas — A legal battle is unfolding as McDonald’s and its franchisee, McKinney Restaurant Management, are being sued following allegations that they employed a registered sex offender who subsequently assaulted a teenage co-worker. The lawsuit centers around the claims that Eric Price, a 28-year-old convicted sex offender, was negligently hired at a McDonald’s location in Hearne, leading to the assault of a 15-year-old female employee.
Price, previously convicted of sex crimes involving minors, is currently serving a 40-year sentence for this latest offense. Official records detail his prior convictions, including a case in 2014 involving indecent exposure to a 13-year-old and another in 2016 for the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl. Both cases had resulted in probational sentences.
The lawsuit, filed in Robertson County, is demanding over $1 million in damages and highlights a glaring issue with the hiring practices purportedly not taking sufficient steps to safeguard underage workers. This legal action underscores a critical discussion about the responsibilities of employers to ensure the safety of their employees, especially minors.
Attorney William Calderon, representing the impacted teenager and her family, expressed outrage over the incident and is pushing for substantial reforms in McDonald’s hiring processes. “Our aim is to ensure McDonald’s takes full responsibility for employing a person whose background should have precluded him from working alongside minor employees,” Calderon stated. He stressed the tragedy of allowing a previously convicted sex offender access to vulnerable teenagers in a workspace reputedly popular among parents for their children’s first jobs.
The lawsuit accuses McDonald’s, known as one of the largest employers of minors in the U.S., of failing to carry out adequate background checks that could have prevented this incident. Calderon argued, “This oversight provided a predator with the opportunity to exploit and harm an innocent young worker on her shift.”
Addressing the emotional and psychological toll on the victim, Calderon added, “The hardship and suffering following such incidents are profound, leaving lasting scars on the young victims and their families.”
Leiha White from the Sexual Assault Resource Center emphasized the broader duty of employers to protect all employees, advocating for proactive engagement in employee safety training and resource-provision to help recognize and respond to warning signs of inappropriate behavior.
The case has sparked criticism towards McDonald’s handling of the hiring process, with advocates calling for more stringent measures to prevent similar cases. The corporation and its franchisee, McKinney Restaurant Management, have denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that the operational policies, including hiring at individual locations, do not fall under their direct oversight as per the franchise agreements.
This lawsuit could set a precedent affecting how companies screen potential employees and manage their work environments, particularly concerning underage and vulnerable workers. The outcome of this case is likely to resonate well beyond Hearne, potentially influencing corporate employment strategies nationwide to prevent such egregious oversights moving forward.