Sesame Place Amusement Park Sued For Racial Discrimination
In the aftermath of the now-viral video of the little Black girls who were ignored by costumed amusement park employees, a Baltimore law firm has filed a class action lawsuit against Sesame Place for $25 million. According to 6ABC Action News, the suit against the Sesame Street-inspired park comes from an entirely different family.
Represented by attorney Malcolm Ruff, the family of father Quinton Burns and daughter Kennedi Burns are seeking $25 million in their discrimination case against the amusement park. The Burns family alleges that four Sesame Place employees dressed in costume ignored Kennedi when the family came to the park on Father’s Day for a meet and greet.
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A law firm released a video that it says shows several Sesame Place characters snubbing a 5-year-Black child visiting from Maryland. https://t.co/uhYnNJ1JDp
— Action News on 6abc (@6abc) July 28, 2022
The $25 million suit claims SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc. engages explicitly in “pervasive and appalling race discrimination against children in the operation of Sesame Place Philadelphia.”
Additionally, Burns’ suit alleges that Sesame Place violated Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, put in place “to protect people from racial discrimination in the creation” when enforcing contracts.
Malcolm Ruff spoke during a press conference on Wednesday (July 27), where he stated the Burns family entered into a contract when they purchased Sesame Place tickets. By being discriminated against, the “contract was breached, solely because of the race of the children.”
“SeaWorld’s performers readily engaged with numerous similarly situated white customers,” the lawsuit reads.
Sesame Place issued a statement to 6ABC Action News in response to the lawsuit and press conference.
“We will review the lawsuit filed on behalf of Mr. Burns. We look forward to addressing that claim through the established legal process. We are committed to deliver an inclusive, equitable, and entertaining experience for all our guests.”
