• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Family Suing Theme Park For $25 Million For Alleged Racial Discrimination After Sesame Street Character 'Snubs' Them

Home> News

Updated 11:27 28 Jul 2022 GMT+1Published 11:26 28 Jul 2022 GMT+1

Family Suing Theme Park For $25 Million For Alleged Racial Discrimination After Sesame Street Character 'Snubs' Them

A family from Baltimore is suing Sesame Place after alleging racial discrimination

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

A family is suing a Sesame Street theme park for $25 million after claiming their children were racially discriminated against.

The family from Baltimore claim that multiple costumed characters from the popular kids’ TV show ignored their five-year-old daughter during an event that took place last month.

This lawsuit comes in the aftermath of a video that appeared to show two Black girls being ignored by one of the performers in costume during a parade.

The character in the video then proceeded to hug a white child without hesitation.

Advert

The park – situated in Langthorne outside Philadelphia – later apologised after the footage went viral, promising that staff would receive extra training.

A video showing a character appearing to snub two black children went viral.
@__jodiii__/Instagram

However, this suit – which is aiming for class action status – has been brought in Philadelphia against SeaWorld Parks, which owns the park, alleging ‘pervasive and appalling race discrimination’.

In the suit, it is alleged that four characters ignored Quinton Burns, his daughter Kennedi and a number of other Black guests during the meet and greet event on 18 June.

Advert

Documents state that ‘SeaWorld’s performers readily engaged with numerous similarly situated white customers.’

At a press conference yesterday (27 July) one of the family’s attorneys, Malcolm Ruff, asked for SeaWorld Parks to pay compensation to the Burns family, as well as calling for openness from the group.

Another lawyer, William Murphy, said: “Racism is horrible when it’s perpetrated against adults, but it’s in a separate category altogether of horror when it’s perpetrated against kids,”

The suit is seeking $25 million in damages from the SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment company, as well as asking for the park to implement cultural sensitivity training and education on the history of discrimination as a mandatory condition for all staff.

Advert

Sesame Place Philadelphia said that it was reviewing the suit and would address the claims made through ‘the established legal process’.

Sesame Place in Philadelphia.
Helen/Alamy Stock Photo

A statement read: "We are committed to deliver an inclusive, equitable and entertaining experience for all our guests."

After the video went viral, the park issued a statement claiming that employees stand for ‘inclusivity and equality in all forms’ but mentioned that performers sometimes miss children because of their costumes and restricted visibility at lower levels.

Advert

The statement claimed: “The Rosita performer did not intentionally ignore the girls and is devastated by the misunderstanding,”

In a later statement, the park said it was ‘taking action to do better’, including inclusivity training.

UNILAD has approached SeaWorld Parks for a statement.

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact Stop Hate UK by visiting their website www.stophateuk.org 

Featured Image Credit: NBC10 Philadelphia/@__jodiii__/Instagram

Topics: US News, World News, Racism, Film and TV

Tom Wood
Tom Wood

Tom Wood is a LADbible journalist and Twin Peaks enthusiast. Despite having a career in football cut short by a chronic lack of talent, he managed to obtain degrees from both the University of London and Salford. According to his French teacher, at the weekend he mostly likes to play football and go to the park with his brother. Contact Tom on [email protected]

X

@TPWagwim

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

an hour ago
15 hours ago
  • an hour ago

    Justin Timberlake shares bold five-word message after revealing ‘shock’ Lyme disease diagnosis

    The 'Selfish' hitmaker has just wrapped up his two year-long tour

    Celebrity
  • an hour ago

    Diddy denied bail again as judge explains blunt reason why

    Sean 'Diddy' Combs has been denied bail — again

    Music
  • 15 hours ago

    One of the most successful Shark Tank investments is now worth staggering amount and used by millions

    Many products that have appeared on Shark Tank over the years have gone on to be successful

    News
  • 15 hours ago

    Elon Musk receives eye-watering bonus from Tesla as a ‘good faith’ payment

    Tesla CEO Elon Musk saw his initial $56 billion bonus rescinded

    Technology
  • White House issues savage response after South Park uses brutal Trump penis joke in premiere
  • Ghost Adventures host emotionally confronts wife in court following her arrest for alleged murder for hire plot against him
  • Blake Lively sues co-star for sexual harassment and alleged campaign to 'destroy her reputation'
  • Family Feud contestant who made horrifying answer on game show gets life in prison for killing wife