FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A McDonald's restaurant in northwest Arkansas and others face a lawsuit after employees allegedly posted nude photographs on the Internet off a cellular phone lost there.
Phillip and Tina Sherman of Bella Vista filed a lawsuit against McDonald's Corp.; Mathews Management Co., which owns the McDonald's franchise on Sixth Street in Fayetteville; and Aaron Brummley, a manager of the restaurant. The suit seeks more than $3 million in damages after nude photographs of Tina Sherman were posted on a Web site.
The suit claims Phillip Sherman lost his phone at the restaurant on July 5. The phone contained nude photographs his wife sent him.
Though employees promised to secure the phone until Phillip Sherman returned, his wife began receiving text messages from it, the suit claims. The photographs later made their way to a Web site.
The suit seeks a jury trial, saying the couple and their family suffered severe mental and emotional distress, physical injury, pain and suffering, embarrassment, damage to their reputations and fear. The suit also asks for money to cover the cost for having to move to a new residence.
Brummley refused to comment, referring the matter to company officials.
"I would strongly caution anyone from jumping to conclusions without having all the facts. I believe this act was perpetrated by individuals who do not represent my organization," Bill Mathews, the McDonald's franchisee, said.
"We take these matters very seriously," he said. "We value and respect our customers and their right to privacy. We would never do anything to violate that trust. Because this is a pending legal matter, it would be inappropriate to make any additional comments or speculate about what may have actually occurred."
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