PROVIDENCE Haylee Mota and her family planned to celebrate her 17th birthday with dinner at Jacky’s Waterplace and Sushi Bar on Sept. 7.
But plans for the dinner for seven fell apart when the restaurant refused to seat them due the presence of her service dog, according to a lawsuit filed in Providence County Superior Court.
“It was frustrating, said Mota, a precocious East Providence High School senior who plans to study mechanical engineering at the University of Southern California in the fall. I know my rights under the [Americans with Disabilities Act]. Any establishment open to the public is open to a service dog.”