Restaurants in polygamous community settle lawsuit: No multiple wives? We’ll serve you nevertheless

Getting a bite to eat just got easier in a polygamous community at the Utah/Arizona state lines.

In a settlement with Arizona authorities, owners of Vermillion Candy Shoppe and Big Dan’s Drive Thru agreed to stop discrimination against would-be diners who do not belong to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard announced the settlement Monday, closing a civil rights lawsuit filed by two former FLDS members who claimed they were barred from eating at the Colorado City, Ariz., restaurants.

Isaac Wyler, Andrew Chatwin and family members visited the restaurants in 2006 but claimed they were asked to leave after ordering or were not permitted to order. On one occasion, marshals were asked to escort them out of the restaurants after they arrived with a CNN film crew.

Wyler and Chatwin both have worked as tax notice posters for fiduciary Bruce R. Wisan, who oversees a communal property trust set up by the sect decades ago.

As part of the settlement, the restaurants agreed to adopt a non-discrimination policy that specifically addresses treatment of former FLDS members.

The restaurants also will educate and train employees on the policy and submit state reports on any refusal to serve incidents.

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