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By Marni Rose McFall
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A new lawsuit, filed by a disabled Massachusetts man, alleges that he was denied entry to a FIFA Club World Cup match at Gillette Stadium because of service dog paperwork.
The plaintiff, who was attending the match, is named as King Pompilus in the lawsuit and states that he was “singled out, questioned about disability-related documentation, informed that he could not enter without paperwork and prevented from entering the stadium while other patrons entered without issue.”
The plaintiff was ultimately granted entry to the game, but alleges that he was "humiliated" and that anxiety and emotional distress were caused. He states in the legal filing, reviewed by Newsweek, that this is a violation of his rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Massachusetts anti-discrimination laws.
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Newsweek has contacted the plaintiff, FIFA and the Boston 26 Host Committee via email for comment.
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Previous Criticism
The lawsuit comes as FIFA has been criticized by disabled fans.
When accessible tickets went on sale last year, FIFA was criticized for charging for companion seats, which critics argue means that, in effect, disabled fans are paying twice. The price of accessible parking has also been cited as a concern for fans with disabilities.
A recent report from The Guardian found that wheelchair users who secured a match ticket were unable to buy an accompanying ticket for a caregiver, and that wheelchair and accessible seating were being priced higher than general admission tickets on the FIFA official resale marketplace across a number of matches.
One social media post from the social media account Football Supporters Europe, viewed 50,000 times, collates the experience of multiple fans with disabilities and alleges that FIFA is “ignoring fans with disabilities who want to back their team.”
Jon Attenborough, a Scotland supporter and FSE Disability & Inclusion Fan Network Member, said in that post, “It’s absolutely disgraceful. It just shows FIFA’s complete lack of consultation with disabled fans and their representative groups.”
What The Lawsuit Says
According to the complaint, the plaintiff attended the Haiti-Scotland match on June 13 at the Foxborough stadium with his two children and his trained service dog.
The lawsuit alleges a security employee stopped Pompilus at the entrance and demanded paperwork proving the dog's status as a service animal, despite federal law generally prohibiting businesses from requiring such documentation.
The complaint says Pompilus was prevented from entering the stadium for approximately 15 minutes while other fans were allowed to proceed through security.
After a supervisor intervened, Pompilus was admitted without providing documentation.
The lawsuit alleges that the defendants failed to properly train security personnel on federal and state laws governing service animals and disability accommodations, leading to what was described as the improper demand that the plaintiff provide documentation for his service dog.
The suit states that accessibility procedures were applied unevenly during the tournament and that plaintiffs’ treatment conflicted with the organizers' public commitments to accessibility, inclusion and equal access for people with disabilities.
What Happens Next
In addition to compensatory damages, the plaintiff seeks:
- A court declaration that defendants violated federal and state disability-rights laws.
- An injunction prohibiting defendants from requiring service-animal documentation as a condition of entry.
- ADA-compliance training for security personnel, gate staff and supervisors.
- Written policies governing service animals.
- Preservation of records related to service-animal complaints, training and incidents.
- Attorneys' fees and costs if permitted by law.
The lawsuit demands a trial by jury.
The defendants have not yet filed responses to the allegations.
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