The announcement Wednesday afternoon by lawyers with Murphy, Falcon & Murphy comes after outrage over a viral video that appears to show the costumed character, Rosita, snubbing two young black girls during a park parade. The nine-second video, posted on Instagram on July 16 by Jodi Brown, the mother of one of the girls, showed Rosita yelling at a white child and a woman, then making “no” gestures and walking away from the two girls who had their arms out for a hug and held high during a parade at Sesame Place in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. But Malcolm Ruff, one of the lawyers, said they are representing the Burns family, a different family than the one seen in the latest video. Ruff said 5-year-old Kennedy was visiting Sesame Place with her family on June 18, 2022, when the same thing happened to them. The lawsuit alleges that SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc. engaged in rampant and appalling racial discrimination against children in the operation of Sesame Place Philadelphia. They also say Sesame Place broke a contract with parkers who bought a ticket and violated the Burns family’s civil rights. During an interview with Action News on Saturday, Cathy Valeriano, president and general manager of Sesame Place, said the park is reviewing its internal practices, both immediate and long-term. “We are devastated as an organization that these girls experienced this and this is for us,” she said. Valeriano said the performer in the Rosita costume has not worked since July 16. Action News reached out to Sesame Place about the latest filing, but we have yet to hear back. SEE ALSO: Family asks Sesame Place to do more amid racism allegations, wants worker fired Copyright © 2022 WPVI-TV. All rights reserved.
