McGann v. Cinemark USA — disability — reversal — Restrepo

A blind and deaf man asked a movie theater to provide him with a tactile interpreter so that he could experience a movie there. If you think that sounds silly or contrived, here’s some context:

McGann has experienced movies in theaters for many
years. He enjoys attending movies in person for a number of
reasons; among others, it affords him the opportunity to
participate in discussions about the movies with his friends and
family. Before his wife passed away in 2001, she would
provide him with tactile interpretation during movies in the
theater. Since then, McGann has attended movies at a local
Carmike Cinema. Carmike provided him with tactile
interpretation services for movie presentations at his request.

In November 2014, McGann became interested in
experiencing the movie Gone Girl (Twentieth Century Fox
Film Corp. 2014), after hearing about it from his family and
reading about it online using Braille. After he contacted his
customary Carmike Cinema to inquire about attending a
presentation of the movie, he learned it was no longer playing
there. So he sought another theater in which to experience it.

When the theater refused to provide him with a tactile interpreter, he sued it under the Americans with Disabilities Act. After a bench trial, the district court ruled in the theater’s favor based on its view that movie-theater tactile interpreters were not covered by the ADA. Today, the Third Circuit reversed. Significantly, the court did not reach the theater’s defense that having to provide tactile interpreters would cause it an undue burden, instead remanding that issue for the district court to consider first.

Time to fire up the “Federal judges are activists! Plaintiffs are snowflakes!” internet hate machine? I hope not.

UPDATE: Right on cue, National Review posts, “A Contender for the Silliest Decision of the Year Award.” The author, who says he views the ADA as unconstitutional, laments that “activist judges will keep pushing it further and further.”

Joining Restrepo were Smith and McKee. Arguing counsel were Carol Horowitz of the Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania for the patron, M. Brett Burns of Hunton & Williams for the theater, and Bonnie Robin-Vargeer for the DOJ as amicus.