Federal Jury Finds Sesame Place Not Liable In Racism Lawsuit Filed Against Park

September 21, 2024
The SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment owned park was subject of a viral video where costumed characters allegedly ignored Black children.
A federal jury has sided with SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment and unanimously voted that costumed characters at Sesame Place Philadelphia, a children’s theme park in Burks County, did not discriminate against two young Black girls in videos that went viral in July of 2022. According to court records, the lawsuit claimed that park workers discriminated against Black children during parades at the park by intentionally ignoring them.
The Philadelphia jury panel reached a final verdict on Sept. 18. 
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment told NBC News, “We are pleased with the jury’s verdict and thank them for their service and attention. The facts presented demonstrate that we treat our guests equally.”
The legal action case was brought against SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment when Baltimore native Quinton Burns brought his child to a June 18 “Meet-and-Greet” event with employees dressed as Elmo, Ernie, Telly Monster, and Abby Cadabby.
The class action complaint claimed that costumed characters “intentionally refused to perform and engage with that child and other Black guests while enthusiastically doing their act for the white people in attendance. 
A viral video shared on social media in July of 2022 appeared to show a character playing Rosita at Sesame Place Philadelphia denying service to two young Black girls before continuing to greet other people standing around them. 
The Burns family lawyer claimed that the video was indicative of the theme park’s racist intent and directly opposed their toting of inclusive practices. 
Sesame Place rebutted by explaining that the performer’s costume could have obstructed their vision and made it difficult to see the two girls.
Following the incident, Sesame Place stated they reviewed their rules and practices and also implemented mandatory training for all employees in the park on how to be  “equitable inclusive” to their guests.
“We are committed to learning all we can from this situation to make meaningful change. We want every child who comes to our park to feel included, seen, and inspired,” Sesame Place said in a statement.
“We want every guest at our park to feel welcomed and safe when they visit us and to be able to see and feel aspects of themselves in the experiences we create.”
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment stated, “We’re proud of the role we play in creating lasting memories — especially for our youngest guests. We are constantly learning and improving and we’re committed to using our parks to help build a more inclusive experience for our guests.”
RELATED CONTENT: Sesame Place Is Now Enforcing Bias Training For All Employees
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