Dick’s Sued Over Age Restrictions on Gun Sales
In a move many saw coming as early as last week, Dick’s and Walmart are being sued by a 20 year old man claiming age discrimination. Last week Dick’s announced that the sporting goods store would no longer sell assault style rifles, like AR-15’s, and raised the minimum age to purchase a gun in their stores to 21 effectively immediately.
The plaintiff’s name is Tyler Watson and he claims that he went to multiple stores in multiple counties and was prevented from buying a gun in each store. His suit claims that Dick’s and Walmart are unlawfully discriminating against 18, 19, and 20 year-old citizens who are by Oregon law legally old enough to purchase a fire arm.
Watson’s claim may face some hurdles as age discrimination is a protected class when dealing with employment but not as a consumer. The case may have trouble making it out of the early stages of the legal process because of merit.
Both second amendment supporters and detractors alike will be watching the case closely to determine it’s impact. If the case quickly dismissed with no viable solution to bring it again, anti-gun forces will be elated and see an immediate work around to the second amendment and pro-gun Congressmen and Senators. If the case grows legs and starts to make it’s way through various stages of the process, pro-second amendment groups will start to get excited over clarification and maintained access.
An Oregon man filed suits Monday claiming Dick’s Sporting Goods and Walmart discriminated against the 20-year-old when they refused to sell him a rifle.
Dick’s and Walmart restricted gun sales to adults 21 and older in the wake of the Florida high school massacre. The 19-year-old accused in the school slaying bought the AR-15 used in the attack legally.
Oregon law allows residents to buy shotguns or rifles starting at age 18.
Tyler Watson’s lawsuits filed against the retailers in two separate counties claim he faced age discrimination from Dick’s and Walmart, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported . The lawsuit is believed to be the first filed over the new gun policies enacted on Feb. 28.
The lawsuit claims a store owned by Dick’s Sporting Goods in Medford, Oregon, refused to sell Watson a .22-caliber Ruger rifle on Feb. 24. The suit says Grants Pass Walmart in Oregon refused to sell him a gun on March 3.
Watson is asking judges to force Dick’s and Walmart “to stop unlawfully discriminating against 18, 19, and 20 year-old customers at all Oregon locations.” Additionally, he is asking for unspecified punitive damages.
Walmart spokesman Randy Hargrove said the retailer plans to defend the new policy.
Steve
Steve is an affordable multifamily housing professional that is also the co-founder of Whiskey Congress. Steve has written for national publications such as The National Marijuana News and other outlets as a guest blogger on topics covering sports, politics, and cannabis. Steve loves whiskey, cigars, and uses powerlifting as an outlet to deal with the fact that no one listens to his brilliant ideas.
