Baltimore Family Files $25 Million Lawsuit Over Sesame Place Character's Snub of Black Child

Mar. 15, 2025

A $25 million dollar lawsuit has been filed againstSeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, the parent company of Sesame Place, after a Baltimore family claimed four costumed characters deliberately ignored their daughter and other Black visitors.

Filed in Pennsylvania federal court on Wednesday, the class action lawsuit holds Burns as a representative of other families who came forward after experiencing similar situations at the park.

The lawsuit comes a week after a different family’svideo showing the character Rosita seemingly ignoring two Black girls during a paradewent viral on social media.

According to the allegations in the complaint, Sesame Place employers had prior knowledge that the four costumed characters who met with the Burns family and others held “racial bias towards Black people” and therefore these issues were “foreseeable.”

Getty Images

Getty

According to a Sesame Place representative, the park is currently reviewing the lawsuit and “looking forward to” addressing its claims. They also stated, “We are committed to deliver an inclusive, equitable and entertaining experience for all our guests.”

The viral video gained attention from celebrities like Kelly Rowland, whoblasted the park on Instagramand said those girls deserved an explanation.

Also in response to the video, another park goer shared a similar encounter onInstagramof Rosita brushing off a greeting from her excited daughter, Lola. “The character went out of their way to change course and Immediately after hugged and took a pic with a little white girl,” she wrote.

source: people.com