Woman Sues City of Tacoma, Alleging Tacoma Dome Charges an Illegal Disability Surcharge for Caregivers
A resident of Washington state who has quadriplegia has filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Tacoma, alleging that the Tacoma Dome discriminates against people with disabilities by charging admission for the personal care assistants they rely on to attend live events. The complaint argues the requirement amounts to an unlawful disability surcharge under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Washington Law Against Discrimination.
The suit was filed Oct. 5 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington by Jill McAuley, who has quadriplegia and uses a power wheelchair and requires personal care assistance for more than 13 hours each day, according to the filing. McAuley alleges the Tacoma Dome, which is owned and managed by the city, denied her request for complimentary entry for her personal care assistant to an upcoming Pentatonix concert on Nov. 5. Venue staff told her that every person entering the arena must hold a valid ticket, with no exceptions.
Because she must remain next to her aide for the entirety of live music concerts and festivals, McAuley said the separate-ticket requirement would force her to pay at least twice as much as patrons who do not need assistance. Before going to court, she sent a formal demand letter to the city on Sept. 14; Tacoma Venues & Events Director Adam Cook responded on Sept. 22 rejecting the claim that charging full admission for a personal care assistant violates disability law, according to the complaint. Tacoma Venues & Events spokesperson Hillary Chynoweth declined to comment on the pending litigation.
"It essentially turns into paying double anytime you want to do something, and it really shuts people out from being members of the community," Conrad Reynoldson, an attorney representing McAuley, told The News Tribune. Reynoldson, who founded the Seattle-based nonprofit Washington Civil & Disability Advocate, noted that a 2019 Washington bill that would have made it illegal to deny complimentary entry to a live event for one caregiver accompanying an admission-paying person with a disability died in committee.
At the center of the case are Title II regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Justice, which bar state and local government entities from imposing surcharges on people with disabilities to cover the cost of measures necessary for non-discriminatory treatment. Because the Tacoma Dome is owned and operated by the city's Venues & Events department, the lawsuit argues it falls under those obligations. The complaint seeks unspecified damages as well as a court order barring the city from charging admission to personal care assistants, along with related policy and training requirements.
Reynoldson said that beyond a case in Pennsylvania, he was not aware of court rulings addressing live-entertainment admissions for personal care assistants, and that setting a precedent is the goal. The City of Tacoma has not publicly commented on the lawsuit, which remains pending in federal court.