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A Sesame Street-themed amusement park is facing a $25 million discrimination lawsuit filed by the family of a 5-year-old Black girl allegedly snubbed by multiple costumed characters, AP News reports.
The lawsuit follows a now-viral video emerging of two other Black girls seemingly being ignored by a costumed employee during a parade at Sesame Place Philadelphia, the amusement park in question.
Sesame Place apologized and promised more bias training for its employees in response to widespread backlash from social media users, activists, and celebrities.
However, more videos surfaced of characters ignoring Black children at the same park.
Quinton Burns says four costumed employees ignored him, his five-year-old daughter, and other Black guests during a Sesame Place meet-and-greet on June 18, per the lawsuit.
The Burns family suit was filed in a Philadelphia federal court against SeaWorld Parks, the owner of Sesame Place, and seeks class-action status.
“SeaWorld’s performers readily engaged with numerous similarly situated white customers,” the lawsuit says of the June 18 meet-and-greet where Black families were allegedly ignored.
During a press conference held on Wednesday (July 28), Burns attorney Malcolm Ruff called for transparency and urged SeaWorld to compensate the family for “pervasive and appalling race discrimination,” as described in the lawsuit.
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