10-year-old Kids Found Working at Kentucky McDonald's; Franchises Fined

Three McDonald's franchises were fined over $200,000 after a Department of Labor investigation found more than 300 minors working illegally, including 10-year-old kids.

The Details: Investigators from the department’s Wage and Hour Division found that Bauer Food LLC, Archways Richwood LLC and Bell Restaurant Group I LLC – three franchises operating 62 McDonald’s locations across Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland and Ohio – employed 305 minors to work more than legally permitted and perform tasks prohibited for young workers. That included two 10-year-olds found working late hours at a Louisville McDonald’s without pay. Bauer Food released a statement saying the kids are children of a restaurant night manager, but weren't authorized to be there by franchise management.

Key Quotes: "Under no circumstances should there ever be a 10-year-old child working in a fast-food kitchen around hot grills, ovens and deep fryers," one department official said. "Any ‘work’ was done at the direction of — and in the presence of — the parent without authorization by franchisee organization management or leadership," Bauer Food said in a statement. 

For Context: The news comes as some states move to lower age requirements for young workers. In February, the New York Times (Lean Left bias) published an exposé on child labor violations regarding unauthorized migrants.

How the Media Covered It: Sources across the spectrum covered the news similarly. Right-rated sources tended to focus more on the Bauer Food statement than left-rated sources did.