![Photo may have been deleted](https://sandrarose.com/images36/rosita-745x808.jpg)
Sesame Place Philadelphia has announced bias training for its performers after one character is seen allegedly ignoring Black children in viral videos.
Multiple videos show a furry character hugging and interacting with white children at the Sesame Street-inspired theme park in Philadelphia.
The same character is seen waving off two Black girls while dismissively shaking his head “no,” and continuing to walk past them.
Other videos show the character ignoring several more Black children while engaging with white children next to them.
In a statement on Monday, Sesame Place Philadelphia said the performer was following policy by not taking pictures with children or holding children.
Sesame Place spoke with the performer, who “has confirmed that the ‘no’ hand gesture” seen in the video was “not directed to any specific person” but was instead “a response to multiple requests from someone in the crowd” who asked them “to hold their child for a photo which is not permitted.” The performer “did not intentionally ignore the girls and is devastated about the misunderstanding.”
But the videos contradict the statement that the performer “did not intentionally ignore the girls.”
As the public backlash escalated on social media, Sesame Place apologized to the family, promising, “We are taking actions to do better.” Sesame Workshop also announced “bias training” for employees “and a thorough review of the ways in which they engage with families and guests,” as “what these children experienced is unacceptable.”
— Sesame Place Philadelphia (@SesamePlace) July 18, 2022
The family of the two girls has retained an attorney and are exploring potentially filing a lawsuit.
Attorney B’Ivory LaMarr told TMZ, “While we hate to rush to judgment to consider ‘race’ as the motivating factor to explain the performer’s actions, such actions both before and after the young girl’s request only lead to one conclusion.”
Hello @SesamePlace
The employee who performs in the Rosita costume seems to engage in a pattern of deliberately ignoring Black children who tries to engage with the character. This employee needs to be fired TODAY, unless Sesame Place condones this type of anti-Black energy pic.twitter.com/PThOwsnS5F
— Tariq Nasheed ?? (@tariqnasheed) July 18, 2022
@SesamePlace here is another video with the same pattern of ignoring Black children pic.twitter.com/b8oJuhSfdS
— Tariq Nasheed ?? (@tariqnasheed) July 18, 2022
@SesamePlace Black children should not be repeatedly subjected to this type of targeted neglect at your establishments. So again, your bogus statement you released give the appearance that you condone this pattern of behavior. pic.twitter.com/EPzpGy5gT9
— Tariq Nasheed ?? (@tariqnasheed) July 18, 2022