Staff reports

Warrenone Inc., a McDonald's franchisee operating four restaurants in Wayne and Monroe Counties, must pay $10,000 to an former employee who was fired after reporting a gas leak at the restaurant to authorities.

The payment, which represents 18 months of part-time, minimum-wage pay for the worker, was stipulated in a settlement announced by state Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman.

Schneiderman said an investigation revealed that the employee had reported a gas leak to supervisors at the Lyons, Wayne County, restaurant multiple times. When the supervisors didn't take action, the worker called the Lyons Fire Department on April 8, 2013.

Firefighters and law enforcement officials later confirmed for the attorney general that the gas leak was severe enough to close the restaurant for the night. While they were on site, two supervisors told the employee he was fired, the report found.

"It's outrageous that an employee would be terminated for contacting the local authorities about a serious safety risk," Schneiderman said in a statement. "He should be thanked, not fired."

The principals of Warrenone are listed as Warren Weichbrodt of Newark and Sodus Point and Robert Weichbrodt of Huron and Sodus Point.

According to Wayne County tax records, Robert Weichbrodt is listed as the owner of the restaurant office at 56-58 Water St., Lyons, while Warren Weichbrodt is listed as owner of the restaurant property at 531 W. Union St., Newark.

Several attempts to reach the restaurant owners failed. An employee at the Lyons restaurant referred calls to an office phone, but a message left there and at Warren Weichbrodt's home went unanswered. The chief of the Lyons Fire Department, Robert Darcangelis, also declined to comment.

Besides making restitution, Warrenone must put into place procedures for making and responding to complaints about health and safety issues. In addition, the company must report quarterly to the attorney general's office about its track record on complaints.

DCARTER@DemocratandChronicle.com

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