Sesame Place scores major victory after 'racist Rosita' scandal

Popular Philadelphia theme park Sesame Place has won a $25 million discrimination lawsuit after one of its character performers was accused of being racist against two black girls.

Rosita, a bilingual Muppet from Mexico , came under fire after the park employee portraying the character was filmed supposedly ignoring the young girls as they reached out to her during a parade in July 2022 at the amusement park.

Footage from the moment showed the Skylar and Nylah Brown, both 6, eagerly reaching out to the blue character who was seen shaking their finger at them, before allegedly 'hugging the little white girl' next to them.

Jodi Brown, Skylar's enraged mother, had filed the lawsuit including claims of discrimination by children who said they felt ignored by the costumed performers during various parades at the park.

But on September 18, a federal jury unanimously voted 'no' after determining that SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, the company that owns the Pennsylvania-based amusement park, was not liable for any wrongdoing, according to NBC News .

After the decision, a spokesperson for Sesame Place said in a statement: 'We are pleased with the jury's verdict and thank them for their service and attention. The facts presented demonstrate that we treat our guests equally.

'We want every guest at our park to feel welcomed and safe when they visit us and to be able to see and feel aspects of themselves in the experiences we create.

'We're proud of the role we play in creating lasting memories – especially for our youngest guests. We are constantly learning and improving and we're committed to using our parks to help build a more inclusive experience for our guests.'

Sesame Place had originally claimed that the performer's costume made it difficult to see the girls and that the 'no' gesture made by the character in the video was not specifically aimed at the youngsters.

But after Brown's video went viral on social media, the park was forced to take measures .

Multiple buildings with the costume character's face on them were closed since the incident in July, with staff claiming she had been 'canceled'.

Rosita's Cocina restaurant had also been closed 'for weeks' despite the busy summer period .

At the time, one staff member told DailyMail.com: 'With recent events, Rosita hasn't been around much anymore.

'She's been taken off the parade entirely since the racism allegations.

'None of the character's walk the street in the parade any more, and any meet and greets for her have been called off.

'That is all because of the allegations, they don't want anyone potentially making the same claims.

'Essentially, Rosita has been cancelled and I don't think she'll be back any time soon.'

Another said: 'The Rosita restaurant has been closed for the last few weeks.

'There hasn't been a real explanation as to why, but staff are assuming it could be to do with the accusations.

'The meet and greets have also changed recently but that could also be because of the heat with some other characters.'

Stores selling merchandise of Sesame Street also appeared to have either removed items featuring the character or having less out on display.

Mugs and other items also did not feature the character, but it is not clear if she was just not part of the main 2022 branding before the incident.

T-shirts, plush toys and various other items were also all on display for the other characters of Sesame Street, but none of the stores had a Rosita section.

The park had also assured concerned visitors that there will be a comprehensive racial equity assessment and developing and implementing an anti-bias training and education program for staff.

All employees will have received the training to 'address bias, promote inclusion, prevent discrimination, and ensure all guests and employees feel safe and welcome'.

New staff members will also undergo the training and the assessment will include engagement with both internal and external stakeholders.