Fulton v. Dick's Sporting Goods

`
STATE OF MICHIGAN
IN THE OAKLAND COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT
TRISTIN MAC FULTON.

An individual,
Plaintiff, Case No. 2018- -CZ

Hon.
v.
DICK’S SPORTING GOODS, INC.,

A Delaware Corporation,
Defendant.
_________________________________________________________________________/
James J. Makowski P62115
Makowski Legal Group, PLC
Attorney for Plaintiff
6528 Schaefer
Document Submitted for Filing to MI Oakland County 6th Circuit Court.

Dearborn, MI 48126
(313) 434-3900
_________________________________________________________________________/
VERIFIED COMPLAINT
Now comes Plaintiff, by and through his attorney James J. Makowski, and by way of
his Verified Complaint states as follows:
JURISDICTION AND VENUE
1. Plaintiff Tristin Mac Fulton (“Fulton”), is a resident of Battle Creek, County of
Calhoun, State of Michigan.
2. Fulton is eighteen (18) years old as of the date of this Complaint.
3. Fulton is a member of a protected class under Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights
Act, MCL 37.2101 et seq (“ELCRA”).
1
`
4. Defendant Dick’s Sporting Goods (“Dick’s), is a Delaware Corporation,
headquartered in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania and is a nationwide retailer licensed to
conduct business in the State of Michigan.
5. Defendant operates a retail location at 562 W. 14 Mile Road, Troy, MI 48083 in
Oakland County.
6. Pursuant to MCL 37.2801(2) this court has jurisdiction as the specific violations
addressed in this Complaint occurred in the City of Troy, Oakland County, Michigan.
7. The amount in controversy exceeds $25,000.00.
8. Jurisdiction and venue are appropriate in this court.
FACTS
9. Plaintiff is legally able to purchase firearms under both state and federal law.
10. On March 5, 2018 Plaintiff entered the Troy, Michigan location of Dick’s and

attempted to purchase a long arm, specifically a shotgun.
11. Defendant’s employees refused to sell a firearm to Plaintiff, citing a new corporate
policy denying the sale of firearms to anyone under twenty-one (21) years of age.
Said denial was videorecorded.
12. Defendant has widely advertised it will no longer sell firearms to anyone under
twenty-one (21) years of age and has placed various signs throughout the Troy
location indicating same.
COUNT I – VIOLATION OF MCL 37.2302(a) OF THE
ELLIOTT-LARSEN CIVIL RIGHTS ACT
13. Plaintiffs incorporate Paragraphs 1 through 12 as if fully restated herein.
2
`
14. Michigan law allows anyone eighteen (18) years of age or older to legally purchase a
firearm unless otherwise legally incapacitated.
15. Plaintiff is not in any way legally incapacitated from owning firearms under state or
federal law.
16. MCL 37.2301(a) provides: (a) “Place of public accommodation” means a business, or
an educational, refreshment, entertainment, recreation, health, or transportation
facility, or institution of any kind, whether licensed or not, whose goods, services,
facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations are extended, offered, sold, or
otherwise made available to the public.
17. Section 37.2302(a) of the ELCRA prohibits a public accommodation from “Deny(ing)
an individual the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges,
advantages, or accommodations of a place of public accommodation or public service

because of religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, or marital status (emphasis
added).”
18. By denying an otherwise legally permissible sale based solely upon the age of
Plaintiff, Defendant has violated MCL 37.2302(a).
19. As a direct and proximate result of such civil rights violations Plaintiff has been
harmed.
WHEREFORE, Plaintiff Tristin Mac Fulton prays this Honorable Court will:
a. Enter a judgment in favor of Plaintiff against Defendant.
b. Enter a money judgment in an amount more than $25,000
3
`
c. Grant Plaintiff injunctive relief against Defendant and enter an Order barring
Defendant from continuing its systematic and widespread violations of the Elliott-
Larsen Civil Rights Act.
d. Award Plaintiff his costs and attorney fees for so wrongfully having to file the
instant complaint.
COUNT II – VIOLATION OF MCL 37.2302(b) OF THE
ELLIOTT-LARSEN CIVIL RIGHTS ACT
20. Plaintiff incorporates Paragraphs 1 through 19 as if fully restated herein.
21. Section 37.2302(b) of the ELCRA is violated when public accommodations “Print,
circulate, post, mail, or otherwise cause to be published a statement, advertisement,
notice, or sign which indicates that the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services,

facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of a place of public
accommodation or public service will be refused, withheld from, or denied an
individual because of religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, or marital status,
or that an individual's patronage of or presence at a place of public accommodation is
objectionable, unwelcome, unacceptable, or undesirable because of religion, race,
color, national origin, age, sex, or marital status.
22. Defendant has violated MCL 37.2302(b) by issuing press releases, posting on its
website, and placing signs in its stores, including the Troy, Michigan location, stating
its willful intention to discriminate against persons based upon age.
23. As a direct and proximate result of such civil rights violations Plaintiff has been
harmed.
4
`
WHEREFORE, Plaintiff Tristin Mac Fulton prays this Honorable Court will:
a. Enter a judgment in favor of Plaintiff against Defendant.
b. Enter a money judgment in an amount more than $25,000
c. Grant Plaintiff injunctive relief against Defendant and enter an Order barring
Defendant from continuing its systematic and widespread violations of the Elliott-
Larsen Civil Rights Act.
d. Award Plaintiff his costs and attorney fees for so wrongfully having to file the
instant complaint.
Dated: March 6, 2018 /s/ James J. Makowski P62115

6528 Schaefer
Dearborn, MI 48126
313/434-3900
5
`
STATE OF MICHIGAN
IN THE OAKLAND COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT
TRISTIN MAC FULTON.

An individual,
Plaintiff, Case No. 2019- -

Hon.
v.
DICK’S SPORTING GOODS, INC.,

A Delaware Corporation,
Defendant.
_________________________________________________________________________/
James J. Makowski P62115
Makowski Legal Group, PLC
Attorney for Plaintiff
6528 Schaefer

Dearborn, MI 48126
(313) 434-3900
_________________________________________________________________________/
AFFIDAVIT OF TRISTIN MAC FULTON
1. My name is Tristin Mac Fulton.
2. I reside at 20984 Waubascon Road, Battle Creek, MI 49017.
3. I was born on September 3, 1999 and am currently eighteen (18) years of age.
4. I read, write and understand the English Language.
5. I am under no local, state or federal prohibition from owning or possessing a firearm.
6. On March 5, 2018 at approximately 7:00pm, I entered the Dick’s Sporting Goods
store located at 562 W. 14 Mile Road, Troy, MI 48083 to purchase a long gun.
1

Fulton v. Dick's Sporting Goods

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Fulton v. Dick's Sporting Goods

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Fulton v. Dick's Sporting Goods

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

`

TRISTIN MAC FULTON.

Plaintiff, Case No. 2018- -CZ

DICK’S SPORTING GOODS, INC.,

Document Submitted for Filing to MI Oakland County 6th Circuit Court.

his Verified Complaint states as follows:

JURISDICTION AND VENUE

1. Plaintiff Tristin Mac Fulton (“Fulton”), is a resident of Battle Creek, County of

Calhoun, State of Michigan.

2. Fulton is eighteen (18) years old as of the date of this Complaint.

3. Fulton is a member of a protected class under Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights

Act, MCL 37.2101 et seq (“ELCRA”).

4. Defendant Dick’s Sporting Goods (“Dick’s), is a Delaware Corporation,

headquartered in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania and is a nationwide retailer licensed to

conduct business in the State of Michigan.

5. Defendant operates a retail location at 562 W. 14 Mile Road, Troy, MI 48083 in

7. The amount in controversy exceeds $25,000.00.

8. Jurisdiction and venue are appropriate in this court.

Document Submitted for Filing to MI Oakland County 6th Circuit Court.

Said denial was videorecorded.

location indicating same.

COUNT I – VIOLATION OF MCL 37.2302(a) OF THE

ELLIOTT-LARSEN CIVIL RIGHTS ACT

13. Plaintiffs incorporate Paragraphs 1 through 12 as if fully restated herein.

firearm unless otherwise legally incapacitated.

an educational, refreshment, entertainment, recreation, health, or transportation

facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations are extended, offered, sold, or

otherwise made available to the public.

advantages, or accommodations of a place of public accommodation or public service

Document Submitted for Filing to MI Oakland County 6th Circuit Court.

Plaintiff, Defendant has violated MCL 37.2302(a).

a. Enter a judgment in favor of Plaintiff against Defendant.

b. Enter a money judgment in an amount more than $25,000

Larsen Civil Rights Act.

COUNT II – VIOLATION OF MCL 37.2302(b) OF THE

ELLIOTT-LARSEN CIVIL RIGHTS ACT

20. Plaintiff incorporates Paragraphs 1 through 19 as if fully restated herein.

circulate, post, mail, or otherwise cause to be published a statement, advertisement,

Document Submitted for Filing to MI Oakland County 6th Circuit Court.

accommodation or public service will be refused, withheld from, or denied an

or that an individual's patronage of or presence at a place of public accommodation is

objectionable, unwelcome, unacceptable, or undesirable because of religion, race,

color, national origin, age, sex, or marital status.

its willful intention to discriminate against persons based upon age.

a. Enter a judgment in favor of Plaintiff against Defendant.

b. Enter a money judgment in an amount more than $25,000

Larsen Civil Rights Act.

Dated: March 6, 2018 /s/ James J. Makowski P62115

Document Submitted for Filing to MI Oakland County 6th Circuit Court.

TRISTIN MAC FULTON.

Plaintiff, Case No. 2019- -

DICK’S SPORTING GOODS, INC.,

Document Submitted for Filing to MI Oakland County 6th Circuit Court.

AFFIDAVIT OF TRISTIN MAC FULTON

1. My name is Tristin Mac Fulton.

2. I reside at 20984 Waubascon Road, Battle Creek, MI 49017.

4. I read, write and understand the English Language.

5. I am under no local, state or federal prohibition from owning or possessing a firearm.

6. On March 5, 2018 at approximately 7:00pm, I entered the Dick’s Sporting Goods