Blind Man Sues After Store Refuses His Service Dog Twice

Wilmer Oliva is legally blind, so he’s allowed to take his service dog named Forte to any public spaces with him. The duo has gone shopping together many times before, but all it takes is one bad experience to change everything. When Oliva and Forte entered a Jimmy Jazz at the Hanes Mall in North Carolina, he soon faced discrimination because of his disability. They told him to leave the store because of Forte, but later apologized and made their service animal rules clearer. Yet, when Oliva came back, the manager refused him again and got the police involved. Now, Oliva is suing. Facebook Service Dog Forced to Leave Oliva first visited the shoe and clothing store in October 2020. When the store manager saw Forte, they told Oliva to leave. Oliva left without a fight, but he later contacted the Consumer Protection Division of the N.C. Department of Justice to let them know of the discrimination he faced. After learning of the complaint, Jimmy Jazz reached out to Oliva and assured him that he could safely return to their store whenever he’d like. They also planned to post signs acknowledging that service animals are welcome in the store. However, when Oliva returned about a month lat...