The $25 million racial discrimination lawsuit filed against Sesame Place has been dismissed by a federal jury in Philadelphia. In the case, SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, the owner of the Pennsylvania-based amusement park, was accused of purposely ignoring black children during events at the theme park. The controversy ignited when a viral video showed an amusement park performer apparently refusing to interact with or acknowledge two young black children during parades and meet-and-greets. The character actor even appeared to shake their head in a “no” gesture while passing them.
Following the incident, Sesame Place released a statement indicating that the Rosita performer did not intentionally ignore the girls, claiming it was a misunderstanding due to multiple requests from someone in the crowd. In response to the backlash, Sesame Place announced that all staff would undergo bias training and review its practices to identify any necessary changes. However, other families began coming forward with similar claims against Sesame Place, leading to a $25 million class-action lawsuit filed by the Baltimore-based law firm Murphy, Falcon & Murphy on behalf of a 5-year-old black girl who was allegedly snubbed at the park by multiple employees dressed as characters.
The lawsuit claimed that the girl, Kennedi, was ignored by four characters due to her race and that “SeaWorld’s performers readily engaged with numerous similarly situated white customers.” The family involved in the initial video of the two girls being ignored by Rosita was not a plaintiff in the class action suit. After being found not liable on Wednesday, Sesame Place released a statement thanking the jury for their verdict and reiterating its commitment to creating an inclusive experience for all guests.
