Teen ex-McDonald's worker sues over harassment, alleges management ignored complaint

A 16-year-old former McDonald’s worker in Purcell, Oklahoma, has sued in federal court, alleging that a coworker harassed her almost as soon as she joined the crew and that management failed to step in. The case puts a harsh spotlight on what happens when a teen worker says the people in charge did not stop conduct that started with unwanted touching and ended in a confrontation at the frappé machine.

The plaintiff, Chakota P. Nelson, accused Roy Curtis Zornes II of harassing her on the job. The complaint says the behavior began with unsolicited neck, back and shoulder rubs and escalated from there. Nelson says the problem became a workplace safety issue, not just a personal dispute, after the confrontation turned violent inside the restaurant.

Zornes is not just any coworker in the allegations. Court records show he was charged in March 2010 with first-degree murder, first-degree burglary, first-degree rape and first-degree arson in connection with the March 5, 2010 death of his former foster mother, Jane Bullard, in Johnston County, Oklahoma. A 2011 Oklahoma report said he was found incompetent to stand trial and committed to a secure psychiatric hospital before later being released and eventually landing work at the McDonald’s in Purcell, about 35 miles south of Oklahoma City.

For McDonald’s crews and franchise operators, the lawsuit goes beyond one restaurant dispute. It raises the question of whether onboarding, supervision and complaint handling are strong enough to protect minors when a coworker crosses the line. Teen workers often have little experience pushing back on supervisors or documenting harassment, which makes clear reporting paths and fast intervention especially important in a fast-food setting where shifts move quickly and managers often juggle staffing, drive-thru times and kitchen flow.

The case also lands against a recent pattern involving an Oklahoma McDonald’s franchisee. On January 30, 2026, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Arch Fellow North, LLC, which owns and operates eight McDonald’s restaurants in eastern Oklahoma, agreed to pay $80,000 and provide other relief to settle a sexual harassment and constructive discharge case involving a teenage worker. The agency said the company failed to properly investigate allegations and allowed the accused supervisor to keep overseeing the victim and other young workers.

That was not the first time the franchisee faced federal scrutiny. In September 2023, the EEOC sued Arch Fellow North over allegations that a 17-year-old McDonald’s worker in Checotah, Oklahoma, was sexually harassed by an adult male supervisor and constructively discharged after the company failed to act. Together, the cases suggest a recurring problem for young workers in Oklahoma stores: complaints may be filed, but the safety system does not always appear to stop the harm fast enough.