The landmark $25 million racial discrimination lawsuit, a seismic claim that accused Sesame Place of deliberately snubbing black children through one of its beloved characters, has been decisively dismissed by a federal jury in Philadelphia. On Wednesday, the panel unanimously concurred that SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, the steward of the Pennsylvania amusement park, bore no culpability for any misconduct, as reported by NBC 10.
The furor erupted in July 2022, ignited by a viral video that exposed a harrowing scene: a park character, seemingly averse to engaging with or acknowledging two young black girls during festive parades and heartwarming meet-and-greets. The footage sparked a conflagration of outrage across social media platforms, capturing the moment when the iconic Rosita from "Sesame Street" appeared to disregard the girls' outstretched arms, yearning for a friendly high-five, with the actor even shaking their head in a否定 gesture as they passed by.
The aggrieved New York family's legal counsel, B'Ivory LaMarr, passionately advocated for SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment to shoulder the financial burden related to the girls' mental wellbeing, arguing that they had suffered "profound emotional turmoil" as a result of this alleged mistreatment. In the aftermath of the initial video, a staggering 150 families contacted LaMarr, alleging similar experiences at the hands of park performers, NBC 10 disclosed.
Amidst relentless criticism, Sesame Place swiftly issued a statement, emphasizing that the Rosita performer had not intentionally snubbed the girls and was deeply grieved by the misunderstanding. The park clarified that the repeated "no" gesture captured on video was not targeted at any individual but rather a response to multiple unsolicited requests from a crowd member asking Rosita to hold their child for a photograph, an act that was prohibited.
As a consequence, Sesame Place vowed to equip all staff with bias training and scrutinize its practices to ensure necessary reforms. Nevertheless, the initial video's virality sparked a domino effect, with other families surfacing with similar accusations against the park, as NBC 10 reported. Soon, a second video emerged, depicting yet another instance where a 5-year-old black girl seemed to be shunned by multiple character-clad employees at Sesame Place.
Enraged, the girl's father, Quinton Burns, filed a $25 million class-action lawsuit against SeaWorld Parks, the owner of Sesame Place, alleging "pervasive and appalling racial discrimination." Burns claimed that his daughter, Kennedi, had been ignored solely because of her race, citing four characters who, on June 18, 2022, failed to engage with her as they readily interacted with similarly situated white patrons, according to the lawsuit filed by Baltimore-based law firm Murphy, Falcon & Murphy. Notably, the family featured in the original Rosita video was not part of this class-action lawsuit.
Following its exoneration on Wednesday, Sesame Place issued a heartfelt statement, thanking the jury for their impartial verdict. "The facts presented illuminate our commitment to treating all guests equitably. We aspire to create an environment where every visitor feels welcomed, secure, and sees reflections of themselves in our experiences," a spokesperson for the park told NBC 10. "We are proud of the memories we forge, particularly for our youngest guests, and we remain steadfast in our pursuit of continuous learning, improvement, and fostering an even more inclusive experience for all who grace our parks."
