Sesame Place has promised to “conduct bias training” and apologised to the family involved in an incident of racial bias at the Philadelphia-based theme park that went viral.
In a video posted to Twitter by Leslie Mac, a costumed performer at Sesame Place appears to snub two Black children. Mac said the family was visiting the park to celebrate her daughter Paige’s 4th birthday over the weekend.
“This is how Sesame Place treated these beautiful Black children,” she wrote on Twitter alongside the video.
Sesame Workshop and Sesame Place, SeaWorld’s exclusive theme park partner, responded to the viral video, with the latter posting an initial response to its Instagram account on Sunday (17 July).
“What these children experienced is unacceptable”
“Our brand, our park and our employees stand for inclusivity and equality in all forms,” Sesame Place wrote.
“Regarding the incident yesterday, the costumes our performers wear sometimes make it difficult to see at lower levels and sometimes our performers miss hug requests from guests.”
“The performer portraying the Rosita character has confirmed that the ‘no’ hand gesture seen several times in the video was not directed to any specific person, rather it was a response to multiple requests from someone in the crowd who asked Rosita to hold their child for a photo which is not permitted,” the statement added.
“The Rosita performer did not intentionally ignore the girls and is devastated about the misunderstanding. We spoke to the family and extended our apologies and invited them back for a special meet-and-greet opportunity with our characters.”
However, Mac said the theme park had not spoken to her in another tweet. “The entire statement is a lie,” she wrote.
“We sincerely apologize to the family”
On Monday (18 July), Sesame Workshop shared a statement on Twitter saying it is “aware of the recent incident at Sesame Place Philadelphia, which we take very seriously”.
“What these children experienced is unacceptable,” it added. “We have been in contact with Sesame Place, our licensed park partner, and they have assured us that they will conduct bias training and a thorough review of the ways in which they engage with families and guests.”
Soon after, Sesame Place Philadelphia posted another statement on Twitter, writing: “We sincerely apologize to the family for their experience in our park on Saturday; we know that it’s not ok.
“We will conduct training for our employees so they better understand, recognize and deliver an inclusive, equitable and entertaining experience to our guests.”
Images: SeaWorld / Sesame Workshop
