In the musical Sweeney Todd Mrs. Lovetts' pie shop pie shop is struggling until she starts baking Sweeney Todd’s murder victims into her meat pies. Customers proclaim her pies the best pies they have ever eaten, but food-safety rules don’t depend on customer enthusiasm. While Mrs. Lovett's pies are an extreme example, the absence of a customer complaint doesn’t mean that something is considerate or legal. Read our article to learn why in Maryland and DC, food service establishments are prohibited from allowing dogs that aren't service animals indoors and what business owners can do to prevent health code violations and remain dog-friendly.
Read MoreAlthough the Americans with Disabilities Act requires that service animals be allowed in public accommodations, the same isn't true of emotional support animals. Most food service regulations prohibit animals, including emotional support animals and pets, in coffee shops and other food service establishments.
Read MoreLegalization of medical and marijuana under state law creates challenges under competing laws.
Read MoreHUD recently charged a Kansas landlord with discrimination for requiring unnecessary documentation of a prospective tenant's need for an assistance animal. Learn what HUD claims the Kansas landlord did wrong and how what housing providers may (and may not) require from tenants requesting accommodations for an assistance animal.
Read MoreHUD recently charged a Missouri landlord with violating the Fair Housing Act by requiring a disabled individual to pay a pet deposit for her assistance animal. Here’s what the landlord should have done instead.
Read MoreEmployers should make sure they do not commit age discrimination when making pandemic-related decisions regarding layoffs, telecommuting, and other changes in working conditions.
Read MoreEmployers must balance the need to keep employees from COVID-19 with employment discrimination laws.
Read MoreFrom a legal perspective, renovating a historic building is not for the faint of heart. In addition to obtaining the building permits and inspections required for any construction project, renovation of a historic building may trigger additional legal requirements, including the ADA.
Read MoreMy cats have “contributed” to my articles by walking across my keyboard as I work. I was less thrilled with the cats when one left a dead mouse as a present on my stairs. A recent Kennedy Center audience might have appreciated my cats’ hunting skills. In addition to music from the National Symphony Orchestra, “entertainment” was provided by a mouse in the concert hall.
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