John Ryan loses face mask discrimination claim at WRC

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

John Ryan’s disability discrimination complaint against Gerry Ellis & Sons Ltd was rejected by the Workplace Relations Commission in a decision dated 4 October 2022, following a hearing on 27 June 2022.

The complaint concerned an incident at Fresh Today Extra in Longford on 29 June 2021, when Ryan said he was asked to wear a face covering and told to leave if he did not.

Adjudication Officer Marguerite Buckley found that Ryan had not established a prima facie case of disability discrimination. She did not accept a medical letter as evidence of the extent and duration of his illness, and found that he had not notified the shop that he had a disability as defined by the Equal Status Act.