Family Sues Sesame Place In Philadelphia For Alleged Racist Interaction
A family has filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against Sesame Place.
According to the Associated Press, Quinton Burns filed a lawsuit alleging that four employees dressed as Sesame Street characters ignored his daughter Kennedi Burns and other Black guests during a June 18 meet-and-greet. The lawsuit claims the “performers readily engaged with numerous similarly situated white customers.”
The class action civil rights lawsuit names the amusement park's parent SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment in Pennsylvania and four employees. Filed on July 26, the lawsuit states, “SeaWorld had actual knowledge that John Does 1-4 held personal beliefs of racial bias towards Black people and that John Does 1-4 had the propensity to discriminate against Black people based on their race or color.”
The lawsuit is asking for $25 million in damages.
The family is separate from Jodi Brown, the Black woman who posted a viral video on July 16 that appears to show a Sesame Place character shunning her daughter and niece. A person wearing the “Rosita” costume waved off her daughter and niece’s request for a hug.
Brown’s video appears to show the Rosita character high-fiving white people during a parade at the Philadelphia-area theme park. The two Black girls waited their turn and excitedly reached out to Rosita for a hug. The person in the Rosita costume gestured “no” toward them and walked away, leaving the girls seeming to be hurt and shocked by the rejection.
On July 18, Sesame Place released a statement saying that it does not tolerate discrimination and explained that the costumes often “make it difficult to see at lower levels.” As for the “no” gesture, the theme park said the performer was responding to a request to hold a baby for a photograph, which is not allowed.
Brown said Sesame Place’s explanation is inaccurate. "No, standing next to me, there wasn't anyone asking them to hold a child or take a photo," she told CBS.
Jodi Brown was reportedly unaware of the lawsuit filed by Quinton Burns.
