LANSING, MI – This week, the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) filed a formal charge of discrimination in the Clinton Township case of Reinhardt v. Big George’s Coney, Inc. for denying Reinhardt service based on the presence of her service animal.
“Accommodations can be a critical resource for the nearly 1.7 million people in Michigan living with disabilities,” said MDCR Executive Director John E. Johnson, Jr. “The reality is most people who live long enough will face some kind of disability at least once in their lives. We must commit to protecting the use of service animals and other adaptive aids by residents and visitors who wish to enjoy our great state.”
Reinhardt alleges that in September 2024 she was denied entry and service because of her dog. Claimant alleges that she explained to an employee that the dog was a service animal but was still denied entry. The effect of this denial was that Reinhardt was deprived of the full and equal enjoyment of the food, beverages, and other dining amenities of a public accommodation business.
Reinhardt subsequently filed a complaint of discrimination and MDCR conducted an impartial investigation. The investigation determined that Big George’s Coney, Inc/Kristina Fogleman denied Reinhardt service due to a service animal and refused to consider an accommodation to a disability. Both decisions violated Michigan’s Persons With Disabilities Civil Rights Act (PWDCRA). As a result, MDCR filed a formal charge of discrimination on August 18, 2025.
Following a charge of discrimination, an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) will conduct a hearing where the Department and the Respondent will have the opportunity to present evidence. After hearing the evidence, the ALJ will then issue a Proposal for Decision, which is a recommendation to the Michigan Civil Rights Commission - the final arbiter in complaints filed with MDCR - explaining what facts and law support the ALJ’s conclusion that discrimination did or did not occur. If the ALJ determines that discrimination occurred, the Proposal for Decision would also include a recommendation on what remedies should be provided. Under the PWDCRA, in the area of public accommodation, available remedies include but are not limited to: payment of civil fines, payment to the claimant for damages, posting of notices of relevant civil rights laws, or any other relief the Commission deems appropriate.
Once the ALJ’s Proposal for Decision goes to the Commission, the members will select one or more Commissioners to serve as Hearing Officers who are charged with drafting a final order and opinion for the full Commission’s consideration. The entire Commission will then vote on whether they agree with the proposed final order. There is no time limit imposed on drafting and approving the Commission’s final order and opinion, but efforts are made to present the matter to the Commission for consideration within 3-6 months.
The Michigan Department of Civil Rights is charged with investigating and resolving complaints of discrimination and working to prevent discrimination through educational programs that promote voluntary compliance with civil rights laws. MDCR is the operational arm of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission (MCRC). Learn more about MDCR and MCRC at
michigan.gov/MDCR.
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