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Subway Restaurants Charged with Discriminating Against People with Disabilities

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 24, 2006 – Today, the Equal Rights Center, represented by the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights & Urban Affairs, and Crowell & Moring, announced the filing of a lawsuit against one of the largest and most popular fast-food restaurants in the country - Subway.

The lawsuit alleges long-standing systematic and continuing discrimination by DC-area Subway Restaurants against persons with disabilities because of the restaurants’ inaccessibility in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the D.C. Human Rights Act. Both of these Acts prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability in public accommodations or places that provide goods and services to the public.

“A group of restaurants that does so much to convey the message that all are welcome within its doors must be very certain that those doors do not shut out people with disabilities. Steps at the entrance keep folks with disabilities from even reaching the door,” said Rabbi Bruce E. Kahn, Executive Director of the Equal Rights Center.

Many of the approximately sixty Subway restaurants in Washington, D.C. allegedly contain significant barriers to wheelchair users and other persons with disabilities, including steps blocking access to the restaurants; doors that are too narrow, difficult or impossible to open; bathrooms that are inaccessible or without required equipment; obstacles to the path of travel that prevent wheelchair users from ordering or dining; and self-service items that are out of reach or otherwise inaccessible.

“We hope this suit will open Subway’s doors to everyone, right the wrongs and make people with disabilities welcome to patronize all Subway restaurants in the nation’s capital,” concluded Rabbi Kahn.

The ERC and an individual plaintiff filed the lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia against people and companies owning and/or operating Subway Restaurants in Washington, D.C. Some of them are: Doctor’s Associates Inc., Subway Real Estate Corporation, Sharmin Ahmed, New Comilla, Inc., Obayedul Hoque, Subway Sandwich & Salad, Inc., Mohamed Alam, Triple A Associates Inc., Faslat Elmohtaseb, Johal System Inc., Elmohtaseb Inc. and Syed Ahmed.

Plaintiffs are represented by Elaine Gardner of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs and Susan Hoffman, William Anderson and Rebecca Springer of the law firm Crowell & Moring.

Originally established in 1983 as the Fair Housing Council of Greater Washington, the Equal Rights Center is a private, not-for-profit, civil rights agency that is the product of mergers with the Fair Employment Council in 1999 and the Disability Rights Council of Greater Washington on June 30, 2005. It is dedicated to identifying, challenging, and eliminating discrimination in housing, employment, public accommodations, and government services through education, research, testing, counseling, enforcement, and advocacy. To obtain more information about the Equal Rights Center, please go to www.equalrightscenter.org or call the Equal Rights Center at 202.234.3062.

The Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights & Urban Affairs was established in 1968 to provide pro bono legal services to address issues of discrimination and entrenched poverty. Since its founding, the Committee has handled more than 5,000 cases on behalf of individuals and advocacy organizations in the areas of equal employment, fair housing, public accommodations, public education, asylum and refugee rights, and disability rights. For more information about the Committee, see www.washlaw.org. The Committee can be reached at 202.319.1000.

Recently ranked 18th in American Lawyer’s “Pro Bono Report,” Crowell & Moring has committed itself – as a firm and as a community of professionals – to assure that all citizens have access to the legal system. Crowell & Moring’s promotion of broad participation in pro bono work by the firm’s attorneys and staff has enabled the firm to serve a range of community needs and address civil rights issues, such as fair housing and disability rights. Crowell & Moring LLP is a full-service law firm with more than 300 attorneys practicing in litigation, antitrust, government contracts, corporate, intellectual property and more than 40 other practice areas.

For more information contact:

Kathleen A. Walsh
202-234-3062
Disability Rights Program Manager, Equal Rights Center
kwalsh@equalrightscenter.org

E. Elaine Gardner, Esq. 202-319-1000
Director, Disability Rights Project, Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights & Urban Affairs
elaine_gardner@washlaw.org

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