Sesame Place Philadelphia announces company review and racial bias training after allegations of discrimination
Sesame Place Philadelphia announced a company review and mandatory bias training after a now-viral video appeared to to show prejudice against two young Black girls last month.
Sesame Place Philadelphia announced a company review and pledged to have all employees complete mandatory bias training after a viral video appeared to show prejudice against two young Black girls last month, prompting waves of criticism and a discrimination lawsuit.
The SeaWorld-owned theme park announced a series of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives Tuesday. They involve a racial equity assessment and a commitment that all of the company’s employees will have received bias training by the end of September.
Several outside experts will oversee the changes, including a former member of the U.S. Commission for Civil Rights, the company said in a news release. Cathy Valeriano, the president of Sesame Place Philadelphia, said the company has also implemented “some interim measures” during the review, which include consulting with civil rights groups and community leaders.
“The actions we are taking will help us deliver on our promise to provide an equitable and inclusive experience for all our guests every day,” Valeriano said.
Lawsuit accuses SeaWorld's Sesame Place Philadelphia of discriminationJuly 28, 202201:49The family of two young Black girls alleged last month that the Sesame Street character Rosita ignored the children during a parade at the park in mid-July. NBC News has not verified the allegations. Sesame Place said at the time that the character was shaking its head “no” in the video in response to requests for the character to hold their children for photos, which is not permitted. Sesame Place repeatedly apologized to the family for their experience.
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