September 20, 2024
Sesame Place/Facebook
Sesame Place parent company SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment was found not liable in a federal case that alleged character performers discriminated against Black children at the Bucks County theme park.
A federal jury in Philadelphia ruled against a discrimination lawsuit that claimed Sesame Place mascots intentionally ignored Black children during visits to the Bucks County theme park two years ago.
In the ruling on Wednesday, the panel unanimously decided theme park owner SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment was not liable and did not discriminate against the child. The case drew national attention in July 2022 because of a viral video in which two Black girls appeared to have been snubbed by a mascot dressed as the Muppet character Rosita. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a different family that presented another video they claimed showed discrimination at the park in Langhorne.
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“We are pleased with the jury’s verdict and thank them for their service and attention," SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment said in statement to NBC News. "The facts presented demonstrate that we treat our guests equally."
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit had sought $25 million in damages. They argued the theme park's character performers specifically failed to engage with Black children in the same way they did with white kids during meet-and-greet events and parades.
After the initial video went viral, Sesame Place made several public apologies and undertook diversity training for its staff and new hires under the guidance of leading civil rights experts.
In its statement, SeaWorld said it is "constantly learning and improving" on ways to serve guests at its parks.
"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," the company said. "We're proud of the role we play in creating lasting memories — especially for our youngest guests."
