Food Giant Hired Sex Offender who Molested 15-year-old Girl in Texas; Faces Lawsuit for Careless Hiring

A lawsuit has been filed by the family of a sexual assault victim against a McDonald’s in Texas, following an incident involving a registered sex offender who assaulted his 15-year-old co-worker near a dumpster outside the establishment where they were both employed.

Eric Champagne Price, 29, enticed the girl to a secluded spot behind a McDonald’s in Hearne, almost 90 miles northeast of Austin, on April 16, 2023, and proceeded to sexually assault her before returning to his job as if the incident had never occurred. The legal action claimed that the organization was aware of Price’s presence on Texas’ sex offender registry and had effectively put “the wolf among the sheep.”

“McDonald’s was Price’s hunting ground, and a predictable tragedy ensued,” the lawsuit said.

A legal action has been initiated under the name Jane Doe, targeting McDonald’s Corporation, McDonald’s USA, LLC, and the franchisee McKinney Restaurant Management, Inc. The claim asserts that the defendants were careless in their hiring, retention, and supervision of Price. The claim is for damages exceeding $1 million.

There was no immediate response from representatives of McDonald’s and McKinney Restaurant Management regarding a request for comment from Law&Crime.

Will Calderon, representing Jane Doe, stated that the situation reveals an alarming degree of carelessness that put a defenseless child at risk.

Legal documents indicate that McDonald’s and its franchisee have rejected accountability, attributing fault to the child. The company responded by rejecting any responsibility, asserting that it does “not operate, manage, control, or maintain the restaurant” where the incident occurred and had no staff present at that site during the relevant period. According to court documents, a general denial of all allegations was filed by McKinney, who is owned by former Houston Texans football player Steve McKinney.

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There has been no clarification from either McDonald’s or McKinney regarding the presence of a twice-convicted child rapist and registered sex offender working alongside several 15 and 16-year-old minors, according to court documents.

The legal complaint stated that McDonald’s shifted responsibility onto the victim, claiming Jane Doe had “unclean hands” and suggesting she might have participated in “improper conduct” that led to her assault by its convicted child rapist and registered sex offender employee.

Price has previously been incarcerated due to two convictions related to child sexual abuse. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) flagged the McDonald’s employee as a concern on its Texas Public Sex Offender Registry prior to his employment at the franchise. According to court documents, Texas DPS has stated that “the individual presents a moderate risk to the community and may persist in engaging in criminal sexual behavior.”

When Price sought employment at McDonald’s, he was listed as a Registered Sex Offender.

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On February 10, 2014, Price faced a conviction for indecency involving a child through exposure. The young girl involved was just 13 years old. On January 13, 2016, Price was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl.

In June, Price admitted guilt to a charge related to the sexual assault of a child in the McDonald’s incident and received a 40-year prison sentence, according to the victim’s legal representatives.

Reference: ‘Wolf amongst the sheep’: McDonald’s hires registered sex offender who rapes 15-year-old co-worker, then company blames teen for ‘unclean hands,’ lawsuit says