$200 million McDonalds strip-search case begins Monday

Save

Posted: 9:03 AM Sep 9, 2007
Last Updated: 9:47 AM Sep 9, 2007

12 comments

A | A | A

LOUISVILLE, KY - A strip-search lawsuit that could bring the plaintiff millions of dollars - stemming from an incident that caught national attention - goes to court Monday, reports The Louisville Courier-Journal in its Sunday edition.

Three years ago, in a case that eventually drew national attention to Bullitt County, Ky., an 18-year-old high school senior making $6.35 an hour at McDonald's was subject to the cruelest of hoaxes -- accused by a caller of theft, then detained, stripped and sexually humiliated for hours in the restaurant office, reports the C-J.

Two others, also duped by the hoax, were convicted of crimes, though a jury acquitted the man police charged with orchestrating the entire thing. Now, a jury will decide what price -- if any -- the $59 billion McDonald's Corp. should pay for Louise Ogborn's degrading ordeal, the newspaper reports.

In a fiercely litigated lawsuit scheduled to go to trial tomorrow, Ogborn will ask a Bullitt Circuit Court jury to make the company pay her more than $200 million -- including $100 million in punitive damages -- for failing to warn her and other employees about a hoax caller who had already struck 32 other McDonald's stores and as many as 130 other fast-food restaurants and retail stores across the nation.

The newspaper reports that the case t is believed to be the first such suit to go to trial; the rest were settled. McDonald's says it's not to blame and that the real culprits include the caller -- and Ogborn herself.

The trial is expected to take four weeks. Stacked one atop the other, the pleadings in the case -- 815 documents in 35 volumes -- would stand 10 feet tall, twice the height of Ogborn herself. Lawyers have taken 57 depositions from more than 40 witnesses, and each side lists more than 80 people it might call to the stand, reports the Courier-Journal.

More Stories
FBI investigates anthrax hoax

Police/Safety Officials Meet About Deadly Lincoln Accidents

Kentucky soldiers to help farm in Afghanistan

Cleaning up cigarette butts

Same suspect in two Leslie County murders

Lexington doctor killed in shooting

Ky. congressmen receive threatening letters

Public memorial, viewings set for ex-QB McNair

Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: lindsay Location: floyd county on Sep 18, 2007 at 12:44 PM
mcdonalds isnt the one who strip search this girl, it was obscene people acting out in obscene ways. not evryone at mcdonalds is doing this. you should punish everyone for their mistake. attack the people who commited the crime and make them pay

Posted by: Fred Location: Lexington on Sep 11, 2007 at 09:10 AM
Please. How is a strip search worth $200 Million? Sad part is, the "Jerry Springer Jury" will probably award it. I wish they'd strip search me...

Posted by: Fred Location: Lexington on Sep 11, 2007 at 09:07 AM
$200 Million for a strip search? I'll do it for $100 Million..

Posted by: Ronald Location: Lex on Sep 11, 2007 at 07:11 AM
Can I have an order of McThighs please...

Posted by: Bob Location: London on Sep 10, 2007 at 09:27 PM
The management of that McDonald's location, along with the adult staff, ARE McDonald Corporation. The management at each represent the company and operate its business at each location. McDonald Corp should be held responsible for what it did to one of it's teenage employees.

Posted by: Lashanna Location: Bell on Sep 10, 2007 at 07:33 PM
The story is all twisted and wishy washy. I mean like other stated you don't know really what went on. I believe it is just something that the girl is wanting money out of so she can sit back for the rest of her life. I mean why is she just coming forth now about it? I mean if people watched news they would know. They don't have to call and tell you that it has been done to other places you should know. This is something where the manager should said no and stayed in the store instead of leaving and taking the order out managers are not supposed to leave the store with employees working there. I worked in a food place and that isn't good and isn't supposed to be allowed. The manager should have stayed. The girl should have said no and stepped forward than and not waited. She problay heard something somewhere that she can get some money from the company. I don't think she desreves anything. She should said no and called the cops right than and told the manager but she didn't.

Posted by: Dave Location: Garden Springs on Sep 10, 2007 at 06:38 PM
McStripsearch = McCash

Posted by: Monica Location: Lexington on Sep 10, 2007 at 02:05 PM
200 million dollars for being an idiot.....priceless!

Posted by: Gail Location: Winchester on Sep 10, 2007 at 10:49 AM
Even though the crank caller made them do the search it was a judgement call on behalf of McDonald's management at the one where she worked to take the word of someone over the phone instead of someone that was at the site making the same complaint. They made a call that should not have been done, why were the police never called in if anyone done the search it should have been a female officer!

Posted by: charles Location: lexington on Sep 10, 2007 at 10:17 AM
I dont see anyway to leave a comment the above article is so scatter brained it hardly makes any sense of the issue at hand, did they have this scheme done over the phone or what

Posted by: Anonymous on Sep 9, 2007 at 12:22 PM
Are people no longer able to think for themselves anymore? "Just say no" If someone is asking you to do something that outrageous, you can say no, if they are ligitimate, then you can sue them later for asking you to do it. But to do something like that for someone over the phone? Some things are just common sense.

Posted by: John Location: Harlan on Sep 9, 2007 at 10:31 AM
They let the idiot go that orchestrated the whole thing, and now its money time. Go after the McDonalds corp. and see how much then can sqeeze out of them. The two or three employees, who were complete morons to go along with this, should be held responsible, not the company. If they hadnt let the stupid moron go that got it all going it would look more legitamate, but no, some stupid jury just turned him loose. God BLess America.