John Timothy Robertson and his partner Stephen Ray “Forrest’ Chaplin are suing the Ridgeway Bar & Grill in Naples, claiming they were fired for being HIV positive.
The lawsuit was filed in August, but because of health concerns regarding the couple, there have been a number of recent legal filings to try to push the case forward. Robertson has shingles and Chaplin has pneumonia and is undergoing chemotherapy.
Robertson worked at the restaurant as an assistant manager and Chaplin was hired as a server. They eventually told the restaurant’s vice president, Suzanne Honeycut, that they were HIV positive because they had missed work for doctors’ appointments. Soon after, they began receiving letters about their work performance and eventually were fired. The lawsuit seeks $1 million in damages for past and future pay, pain and suffering, other damages and legal fees.
In legal papers, the defendants have denied that the couple was fired because of their HIV status.
