SHEPHERDSVILLE, Kentucky: A jury in Kentucky awarded $6.1 million (€4.32 million) Friday to a woman who said she was forced to strip and perform *** acts in a McDonald's back office at the behest of a caller posing as a police officer.
Louise Ogborn, 21, sued the fast-food giant, accusing it of failing to warn her and other employees about the hoaxer, who had already struck other McDonald's stores and other fast-food restaurants across the United States.
Ogborn, who had been seeking $200 million from McDonald's Corp. said she was forced to undress, endure a strip search, and perform *** acts on herself and her then-assistant manager's fiance in the restaurant's back office. The events were captured on surveillance video, which was shown to jurors during the trial.
McDonald's said Ogborn is responsible for whatever damages she suffered for not realizing it was a hoax.
Ogborn hugged relatives after the verdict was read.
"Louise has stood up for what happened to her and what McDonald's failed to do for three-and-a-half years, and this jury just vindicated her completely," said her attorney, Ann Oldfather.
McDonald's is evaluating whether to appeal the decision, a spokesman said.
"While we are disappointed with the verdict, we remain vigilant in our efforts to protect our employees and provide them with a safe and respectful workplace," said William Whitman, a spokesman for McDonald's USA.
The jury — eight women and four men — said McDonald's should pay Ogden $5 million (€3.54 million) in punitive damages and awarded her another $1.1 million (€780,000) in compensatory damages and expenses, though they found that the unidentified caller was partially to blame.
Ogborn, who was 18 at the time of the incident, accused the company of negligence leading up to the events in April 2004, when she was detained for 3 1/2 hours.
The caller to the restaurant in Mount Washington impersonated a police officer and gave a description of a young, female employee, accusing her of stealing from a customer. The caller gave instructions for a strip search, which led to the incident and the lawsuit.
A former assistant manager, Donna Summers, was placed on probation for a misdemeanor conviction in relation to the incident. Her former fiance, Walter Nix Jr., is serving five years in prison for sexually abusing Ogborn during the search.
A Florida man, David Stewart, was charged with making the hoax phone call but acquitted last summer. Police have said the calls stopped after Stewart's arrest.