PHILADELPHIA — A federal lawsuit was filed Wednesday in Philadelphia accusing Sesame Place and its parent company of allowing costumed characters to racially discriminate against Black children, citing an example from June similar to one captured in the recent viral video of a character at the park appearing to dismiss and ignore two Black girls.
The complaint alleges that Sesame Place characters ignored a 5-year-old Black girl during a “meet and greet” event. Quinton Burns of Baltimore and his 5-year-old daughter, Kennedi, appeared at a news conference in Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon to announce the lawsuit, for which their lawyers said they’re seeking class-action status.
According to the complaint, Burns and his daughter went to Sesame Place on June 18, and during a “meet and greet” with characters — Elmo, Ernie, Telly Monster and Abby Cadabby — the girl was ignored. Other Black children were also ignored, the complaint states, while the characters “readily engaged with” white visitors.
Sesame Place and its parent company, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, breached their contract with Burns and his daughter when they sold them tickets but then discriminated against them, Baltimore civil-rights lawyer Billy Murphy Jr. said.
The lawsuit seeks in excess of $25 million in damages and seeks a class certification for anyone who experienced similar conduct since July 27, 2018, which the lawyers say was the earliest date allowed under the statute of limitations.
Murphy, of the firm Murphy, Falcon & Murphy, said the girl was “devastated” by what she experienced and will need “professional help” in coping and understanding the situation.
Burns spoke briefly at the news conference and said he, too, was hurt and devastated by what happened to his daughter.
The lawyers said a video of the June 18 incident would be released after the news conference.
Representatives for Sesame Place and SeaWorld could not be immediately reached for comment. SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment owns and operates Sesame Place through a license with Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit responsible for the TV show Sesame Street. Sesame Workshop is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
Controversy erupted over alleged racism at Sesame Place earlier this month, with video posted online of an employee dressed as the turquoise Muppet Rosita appearing to refuse to high-five two 6-year-old Black girls during a parade. The video, recorded by Jodi Brown of New York, prompted calls to boycott Sesame Place and for an explanation from the company.
The nine-second clip shows the mascot waving at and high-fiving a few people and then apparently waving off the two girls, who had outstretched hands. Brown said that she was outraged by the experience her daughter and niece went through and hired a lawyer, B’Ivory LaMarr, to represent them. Brown has not filed a lawsuit against Sesame Place.
At a news conference last week in New York, Lamarr and activist Tamika Mallory of Until Freedom called for the firing of the employee wearing the turquoise costume.
Late Thursday, Sesame Place issued a third apology and said it had been in touch with Brown and LaMarr and was planning to meet to apologize in person and to listen to the family’s experience and work toward fixing the park for good.
The Thursday statement from Sesame Place did not indicate whether the employee was facing termination or other discipline.
