Although a company spokesperson said Wednesday the company doesn’t comment on pending litigation, Denny’s is making the following assertions in its legal filings:
• That the shooting was a random act of violence “and we can’t control random acts of violence,” according to company CEO Debra Smithart-Oglesby in a videotaped deposition, which is summarized in a transcript, and actually included as an exhibit in Perey’s legal filing. “What we do is put together processes, procedures, programs that are intended to contribute to the safety and security of our guests as well as our employees.”
• That the actions of the shooter at Denny’s Kent restaurant that night were not foreseeable, so the company was not liable for damages.
• That it provides its workers with employee handbooks that contain information about workplace violence and ways to minimize it.
• That it provides its employees with training to remove disruptive guests and instructions for “immediate police contact and involvement when the situation dictates,” according to Denny’s legal response to the suit.
“On the date of this incident the immediate reaction of the management and employees of Kent Denny’s was in keeping with their training, policies and procedures, and consistent with industry practices,” according to Denny’s response.
The company also asserts there was no way corporate leadership could have known about issues specific to the Kent Denny’s, prior to the shooting.
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