Dozens gathered for a quiet, four-hour protest in front of Regal Cinemas鈥� Crofton, Maryland, location on Saturday evening after a group from an adaptive day camp for special needs youngsters was turned away nearly two weeks ago.
鈥淭his kind of discrimination and bias happens with a lot of our kids a lot of the time,鈥� said Michel Kenny, organizer of the “No Child is a Liability” rally. 鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of the last subgroup that people feel like it鈥檚 okay to discriminate against because they don鈥檛 complain, and they鈥檙e quiet about it and they鈥檒l just walk away.鈥�
According to the Capital Gazette, the camp director was one of the first to buy tickets for the Summer Movie Express nearly two weeks ago, and informed the theater the $1 tickets were for a group of children with special needs. By the time day campers from Camp Mayo arrived in person, the theater had oversold the movie. The camp director then offered to pay full price for another movie, but they were told they couldn鈥檛 be accommodated because seating them with the general public would be a 鈥渓iability鈥�.
鈥淚, like many people, have gone to this Regal theater many times,鈥� said Daniel Kirschner, whose 8-year-old son was with the group that was turned away from the movies that day.
鈥淲e won鈥檛 be returning here,鈥� said Jamie Kirschner, his wife.
Another couple that was present that day told 海角精品黑料 no one is at fault in this situation. It was about the numbers 鈥� and said there wasn鈥檛 enough room to seat the group of about 140 people.
鈥淭here just weren鈥檛 enough seats,鈥� said Beth Baur.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 not discrimination, it just is what it is,鈥� said Greg Baur, her husband.
鈥淭hey have bent over backward. They have apologized three times. What else can they do,鈥� said Beth Baur.
The Baltimore Sun has reported the chain apologized ahead of the rally 鈥� but those demonstrating said their gathering wasn鈥檛 about an apology or the freebies offered after the fact.
Jamie Kirschner said she鈥檇 be 鈥渙pen in the future鈥� to patronizing Regal Cinemas if there are assurances this won鈥檛 happen again, such as proof of anti-bias and sensitivity training for theater employees. 鈥淚 think that the sensitivity training is needed everywhere. Anybody that deals with the public should definitely receive the proper training on how to deal with all individuals.鈥�
Michael Kenny and other rally goers told 海角精品黑料 the same. But in the meantime, they say they鈥檒l take their business elsewhere.
