Sesame Place is spared a $25 million lawsuit by a federal jury after a character was accused of ignoring black children in a viral clip
A $25 million racial discrimination lawsuit filed against Sesame Place alleging that one of the theme park's characters deliberately ignored black children has been dismissed.
A federal jury in Philadelphia voted unanimously “no” on Wednesday after determining that SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, the company that owns the Pennsylvania-based amusement park, was not responsible for any wrongdoing, according to NBC 10.
The controversy ignited in July 2022 when a viral video showed an amusement park character appearing to refuse to interact with or acknowledge two Black children during parades and meet-and-greets.
The video sparked outrage on social media.
It appeared to show the two girls being ignored by “Sesame Street” character Rosita after extending their arms for a high five.
The actor even appeared to shake his head in a “no” gesture as he walked past them.
The family's New York attorney, B'Ivory LaMarr, wanted SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment to cover any expenses related to the girls' mental health, claiming they are suffering “severe emotional distress” due to the alleged treatment.
In total, 150 families contacted LaMarr alleging similar incidents by performers at the park following the initial video, NBC 10 reported. reported.
Sesame Place quickly released a statement following the incident after facing relentless backlash.
“Rosita’s performer did not intentionally ignore the girls and is devastated by the misunderstanding,” the theme park wrote.
“The actress who portrays the character of Rosita has confirmed that the “no” hand gesture seen repeatedly in the video was not directed at any specific person, but was a response to multiple requests from someone in the audience who asked Rosita to hold her son for a photo, which is not permitted.”
As a result of the incidents, Sesame Place announced that all staff would receive bias training and review its practices to identify any necessary changes.
However, following the attention the initial video generated, other families began filing similar complaints against Sesame Place, according to NBC 10.
A second video then emerged of a similar incident at the park, where a 5-year-old black girl appeared to be belittled at Sesame Place by several park employees dressed as characters.
The girl's father, Quinton Burns, filed a $25 million class-action lawsuit against SeaWorld Parks, the owner of Sesame Place, for “pervasive and egregious racial discrimination” after claiming his daughter, Kennedi, was ignored.
He lawsuitThe suit, which was represented by attorneys at the Baltimore-based law firm Murphy, Falcon & Murphy, claimed that Kennedi was ignored by four performers at the June 18, 2022, event at the Pennsylvania park because of her race: “SeaWorld performers readily interacted with numerous similarly situated white patrons.”
The family involved in the initial video of the two girls being ignored by Rosita was not a plaintiff in the class action lawsuit.
After being found not guilty on Wednesday, Sesame Place released a statement thanking the jury for their verdict.
“The facts presented demonstrate that we treat our guests equally. We want all visitors to our park to feel welcome and safe when they visit us and to be able to see and feel aspects of themselves in the experiences we create,” a park spokesperson said. NBC 10.
“We are proud of the role we play in creating lasting memories, especially for our youngest guests. We are constantly learning and improving and are committed to using our parks to help create a more inclusive experience for our guests.”
