Kentucky restaurant fined $25,000 for refusing Navy veteran with service dog

A Kentucky restaurant was fined $25,000 for refusing to serve a Navy veteran because of her service dog, the Lexington-Fayette County Human Rights Commission said. The ruling found Oasis Mediterranean Restaurant in Chevy Chase and its owner, Ahmad Salah, violated state and city anti-discrimination laws when they ordered Sarah Van Vooren to leave the eatery in March 2023. A hearing officer described the offense as intentional and severe, and the commission adopted the ruling Sept. 15. News of the ruling was first reported by the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Van Vooren, a Fayette County Public Schools teacher, was accompanied by her service dog, Mooney, a blond Labrador. After Salah seated them, he blocked their path to the buffet and the restroom and told Van Vooren she could not remain in the restaurant with Mooney. Van Vooren filed her complaint last year after Salah’s actions were captured on video, showing him instructing her to leave while Mooney waited nearby. The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department explicitly allows service animals in dining areas, including near buffets, a point the officer cited in denying Salah’s stated health-safety rationale. The officer’s report noted the defense did not acknowledge fault, and described Salah as lacking remorse during testimony.

The officer concluded that Salah “unlawfully discriminated” against Van Vooren by failing to accommodate her disability and by excluding her service animal. The ruling stated that even though the service animal was the object of the restriction, the consequence was the exclusion of the person. The health department’s guidance and federal law under the Americans with Disabilities Act both protect access to public spaces for people with service animals, and the officer’s analysis underscored that distinction as legally meaningful.

The commission formally adopted the officer’s ruling on Sept. 15. Salah has 30 days to appeal the decision to Fayette Circuit Court. The order requires Oasis to pay Van Vooren $25,000 in damages. Van Vooren did not immediately comment on the decision, and Salah did not respond to a request for comment.

The case also prompted a separate complaint filed in June 2024 by Danielle Burton, a customer who is visually impaired and uses a seeing-eye dog named Violet. Burton’s complaint remains pending. The officer’s report highlighted that Salah resisted compliance even during proceedings, reiterating his belief that his actions were justified. The ruling noted that under Kentucky law and Lexington ordinances, restaurants must accommodate service animals, reinforcing protections for the disability community. Federal law via the ADA also protects access to public places for people with disabilities and their service animals.

Raymond Sexton, executive director of the Human Rights Commission, said the decision marks a significant victory for Van Vooren and underscores that disabilities come in many forms, both seen and unseen. He said the commission would vigorously enforce anti-discrimination laws to ensure equal access to public accommodations, including dining establishments. The ruling left open the potential for further penalties in Burton’s pending case, depending on its outcome, but did not specify additional actions against Oasis beyond the Van Vooren damages.

This case reflects ongoing scrutiny of service-animal access in public venues across Kentucky and the United States, where state and local authorities are enforcing compliance with disability rights laws and health-safety standards. The Oasis matter is now poised for appellate review, if pursued, and serves as a cautionary example for businesses regarding service-animal accommodations and the handling of complaints in state and local jurisdictions.