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.
