Mother says incident at Kitchener restaurant ‘unacceptable and illegal’

KITCHENER - Protesters returned to Milton's Restaurant Friday evening over an altercation on Wednesday that the victim's mother says was unacceptable and illegal."

My son Justin has a medical condition that grants him the right to have a service animal. He wanted to eat at the restaurant and was forcefully removed. This is unacceptable and illegal," said Shelley DeLaFranier.

The physical and psychological abuse he suffered at the hands of the owners of the restaurant show a clear lack of understanding of the law and should not have happened," said DeLaFranier. We are thankful for the outpouring of support for Justin and we would respectfully ask for privacy for Justin while he works through the trauma of this incident."

A video of her son, Justin Leckie, captured the moment when an altercation at the Kitchener restaurant with two men described on social media as the owners spiralled out of control.

It has now been shared tens-of-thousands of times across multiple social media platforms, leading to calls online to boycott the restaurant.

A protest was set for 4 p.m., with dozens cycling in through the evening, holding up signs to the passing traffic.

The video - four-and-a-half minutes long - shows Leckie being confronted by two men telling him to leave. At times, the men are seen grabbing and even dragging him by his feet. Leckie's service dog stayed largely out of the frame but is seen wearing a blue vest.

Leckie is heard in the video telling the two men, I have her licence."

The restaurant's website and phones were down on Thursday and Friday, and staff at the restaurant said the owners had left when the Waterloo Region Record asked for comment during the protest.

Waterloo Regional Police said officers received a report of a disturbance at the restaurant at 6:40 p.m. on Wednesday. Police said they are aware of the video and are investigating the circumstances around it. No additional details have been provided.

Under the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, people with service animals only need to provide documentation from a licensed health professional confirming the animal is required due to a disability.

This should only be required in instances when the service animal is not easily identifiable and is not wearing a vest or harness.

Service animals must be allowed to stay with you" when inside restaurants, grocery stores and taxis, according to the act.

While service dogs are often primarily associated with guide dogs for the blind, there are a vast number of people with different disabilities who benefit from animals trained specifically for their needs.

This can include those with physical disabilities, someone suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and people on the autism spectrum.

The animals are trained specifically for each situation.

In Cambridge, for example, National Service Dogs has trained over 550 certified service dogs. Launching in 1996, it began breeding, training and placing dogs with children on the autism spectrum. The dogs serve as an anchor to the children, according to the website.

In 2017, Leckie created a GoFundMe page to raise money to train Eponine, a dog from Windsong Collies capable of service dog training. Leckie said in the post he was diagnosed with high functioning Asperger's syndrome and chronic anxiety at 15, but was too old to qualify for a funded service dog.

Research has shown that having the assistance of a service dog for those with Autism Spectrum Disorders can provide relief from the daily overwhelming symptoms I encounter," he wrote. Through sensations of touch and feelings of companionship, I can better manage my symptoms and achieve greater independence."

A year later, Leckie ended the fundraiser, writing on the page that Eponine had passed her test to be a registered service dog. He had raised over $2,200 to help fund the training.

Leckie, a gifted musician, plays first violin for the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra, where Eponine has also become a regular.

Justin is a very gentle soul, all of our orchestra members are very fond of him and his dog," music director Sabatino Vacca said in an email.

With thousands of views and comments online, a few dozen members of the community who have never met Leckie took to the streets on Friday to voice their outrage at his handling at the establishment.

These owners had other options, they could have called the police and had him taken out," said Dan Sears, one of the protesters in front of Milton's on Friday. It doesn't matter what he did, as soon as they put their hands on him, it was wrong."

Sears was out with his son, Craig, who was the first to arrive at the restaurant on Thursday after seeing the video. He said he has never protested a day in his life, but this one hit home.

I saw the video online and it just disgusted me and disturbed me to the core," he said. My little boy has autism and there's been so many times when he's had a meltdown, or he's just not feeling right, and nobody understands what's going on in his mind and people make snap decisions on who he is instead of just thinking that maybe he is a little different."

Stephen Irwin, who was also in front of Milton's on Friday, said the video struck a nerve with him, and he thought that somebody had to speak up.

Like the Sears', Irwin said he had never participated in a protest before.

This type of behaviour isn't welcome in our community, it's not welcome anywhere. " he said. But seeing everyone here, it's amazing that so many people would come together for one individual."

Robert Williams is a Waterloo Region-based reporter for The Record. Reach him via email: robertwilliams@torstar.ca