A $25 million racial discrimination lawsuit filed against Sesame Place, alleging that one of the theme park’s characters intentionally ignored black children, has been dismissed.
A federal jury in Philadelphia voted unanimously “no” on Wednesday, finding that SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment Inc., the Pennsylvania-based owner of the amusement park, was not liable for any wrongdoing, according to NBC 10.
The controversy began after a video went viral in July 2022 showing an amusement park character performer seemingly refusing to interact with or greet two Black children during a parade and meet-and-greet.
The video sparked outrage on social media.
It appears to show two little girls being ignored by the “Sesame Street” character Rosita after they extend their arms for a high-five.
The distinctive actor appeared to shake his head and make a “no” gesture as he passed them.
The family’s New York lawyer, Bivoree Lamarr, argues the girls have suffered “severe emotional distress” from their treatment and is asking SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment to cover all expenses related to the girls’ mental health.
NBC 10 reported that a total of 150 families contacted Lamar after the initial video was released, claiming similar incidents had occurred with performers at the park.
Sesame Place faced relentless backlash, but released a statement shortly after the incident.
“The Rosita performers did not intentionally ignore the girls and are deeply shocked at any misunderstanding that may have occurred,” the theme park wrote.
“The performer playing Rosita confirmed that the ‘no’ hand gesture seen multiple times in the video was not directed at any particular person, but was in response to multiple requests from someone in the crowd who asked Rosita to pose for a photo holding her child, which is not permitted.”
In response to these incidents, Sesame Place announced that all staff would undergo bias training and would review their work practices to identify any necessary changes.
But after the initial video gained attention, other families began coming forward with similar allegations against Sesame Place, according to NBC 10.
A second video was later released showing a similar incident at Sesame Place in which a 5-year-old Black girl was apparently snubbed by multiple park employees dressed as characters.
The girl’s father, Quinton Barnes, claims his daughter, Kennedy, was neglected and has filed a $25 million class-action lawsuit against SeaWorld Parks, the owner of Sesame Place, for “pervasive and egregious racism.”
The lawsuit, represented by lawyers from Baltimore-based law firm Murphy, Falcon & Murphy, alleges that Kennedy was ignored by four performers because of her race during an event at the Pennsylvania park on June 18, 2022. “SeaWorld performers actively interacted with numerous similarly situated white patrons.”
The families involved in the original video showing the two girls being ignored by Rosita were not plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit.
Following the not guilty verdict 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 every guest who visits our parks to feel welcome and safe, and to see and feel a side of themselves in the experiences we create,” a park spokesperson told NBC 10.
“We’re proud to play a role in creating lasting memories, especially for our youngest guests. We’re always learning and improving, and we’re committed to leveraging our parks to build a more inclusive experience for our guests.”
