SeaWorld CEO to meet with family, Jesse Jackson amid Sesame Place discrimination lawsuit

This story originally appeared on 6abc.

SeaWorld’s CEO is scheduled to meet with the family of two 6-year-old Black girls who were seen on a viral video being snubbed by a costumed character at Sesame Place.

Marc Swanson will meet with the girls’ parents and Rev. Jesse Jackson on Thursday to “address the deficiencies we have noted from this most recent press release,” said attorney B’Ivory LaMarr.

Sesame Place, operated by SeaWorld Parks, has announced the implementation of diversity and inclusion training for its employees following a $25 million class-action lawsuit alleging multiple incidents of discrimination after outcry sparked from the video.

The Sesame Street-themed park in Langhorne, Bucks County said in a statement Tuesday that all employees will be mandated to participate in training created to address bias, promote inclusion and prevent discrimination by the end of September.

The training – which was developed by civil rights educators – will also be integrated into onboarding for all new employees and “will become a regular part of our training and workforce development,” the statement said.

Outrage ensued online in July when a video went viral showing a Sesame Street character waving off the two Black girls during a parade at Sesame Place. Jodi Brown, the mother of one of the girls, posted the video on Instagram.

President of Sesame Place Philadelphia Cathy Valeriano said the park has already begun implementing temporary measures while a review of the park continues.

“We are committed to making sure our guests feel welcome, included and enriched by their visits to our park,” Valeriano said.