By Associated Press - Friday, May 31, 2019

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) - A federal appeals court has reinstated a lawsuit alleging that a restaurant in Colonial Williamsburg forced an 11-year-old Maryland boy to leave when he brought his own gluten-free meal on a school field trip.

The lawsuit says Colonial Williamsburg violated the Americans With Disabilities Act when the boy was forced to sit outside after Shields Tavern said it had a rule against bringing in outside food.

A judge had dismissed the lawsuit, but the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that ruling Friday and said the case should be decided by a jury.

People were interested in these podcasts

Colonial Williamsburg has said it never asked the boy and his father to leave the restaurant. The living history museum says they chose to leave and refused to accept a gluten-free meal the restaurant offered to make.

Copyright © 2026 The Washington Times, LLC.

Please read our comment policy before commenting.