Lawyers for a Baltimore family have filed a $25 million racial discrimination lawsuit against Sesame Place, alleging costumed characters at the Pennsylvania park ignored a 5-year-old Black girl last month who was visiting from out of town.
The lawsuit comes after a viral video showed two little girls from a different family apparently being ignored by the Rosita character during a parade at the park earlier this month. In response to that incident, Sesame Place apologized and promised to begin bias training for its employees.
Related Story: Sesame Place to Hold Bias Training After Costumed Character Allegedly Snubbed Black Children
The law firm of Murphy, Falcon & Murphy is representing the Baltimore family. On Wednesday, they held a press conference and released a new video they say shows young Kennedi Burns being snubbed by characters at the park.
“I’m hurting, devastated, me and my wife. Just looking at her face, it makes me want to cry every time I see it,” Kennedi’s father, Quinton Burns, said at the July 27 news conference.
In the family’s video, two characters appear to ignore Kennedi while high-fiving white children around her. Kennedi stretches out her arm, then looks disappointed when the characters move on without touching her.
The family’s lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and seeks class action status against SeaWorld Parks, parent company of Sesame Place.
The filing alleges employees dressed as Sesame Street characters ignored Kennedi and other Black guests during a meet-and-greet on June 18. It claims there’s “pervasive” discrimination at the Philadelphia-area park.
“SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc. and SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment LLC, engages in pervasive and appalling race discrimination against children in the operation of Sesame Place Philadelphia,” the filing says.
Sesame Place told ABC News they plan to review the lawsuit, adding that the park is committed to delivering “an inclusive, equitable, and entertaining experience for all our guests.”
Lawyers for the Baltimore family are urging others who feel they experienced racial bias at the park to contact with them.
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