*An AMC theater in Louisiana has fired three staff members after an women’s group accused them of racial profiling during a screening of “Harriet.”
According to the Daily Mail, members of volunteer group, 504 Queens (all Black women), claim three staff members separately approached them during the two-hour film and repeatedly made them verify their ticket purchases.
The women were also harassed by a kitchen worker, who paused the film and turned up all the theater lights to check their tickets during an evening screening of the film on Sunday, November 3.
“You mean to tell me a kitchen employee can stop a movie, and also, turn on all the lights to embarrass me? And to be aggressive with me in that manner?” one member told WDSU. “It was like the 1800s coming back to my face in 2019.”
OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: ‘The Banker’ AFI Premiere Cancelled Amid Sexual Abuse Claims Against Real-Life Subject’s Son
Sandra Gordon, 65, said trouble started shortly after the film began, and staffers immediately assumed the women were not seated in the correct area.
“It was humiliating. Especially with the movie being shown. We were watching people being whipped, being shot in the head, their children being sold away from them. And then you shut down this movie, this emotional movie, and come to me about a ticket dispute? It felt like the 1800s again in 2019.”
The women were refunded the cost of their tickets, and AMC Theaters’ general counsel Kevin Connor apologized to 504 Queens and confirmed the dismissal of the three employees.
“Based on our initial investigation, operational mistakes by the theater team led to this unacceptable and unnecessary disruption, and we are working with the theater to address what occurred,” Spokesman Ryan Noonan said in a statement.
“We sincerely apologize to our guests in the theater for this disruption and for the frustration they experienced as a result of it.”
A lawyer for the non-profit organization penned a letter to AMC of a list of “healing actions” (which the company agreed to) that include:
- Give free ‘Harriet’ tickets to all public and private high school students in Orleans and Jefferson parishes to educate them about the life and legacy of Harriet Tubman
- Donate all profits from AMC Clearview Theatre’s Black Friday sale to the nonprofit 504 Queens. Those funds would be used to purchase holiday meals for people in need
- Provide mandatory anti-racism and anti-oppression training for all AMC theater staff
- Issue a written apology to the charity about the incident.
- Donate movie passes to 504 Queens for its 200 members to take young girls in their mentor program to movies next year
- Investigate and reevaluate AMC’s practices, polices, training and supervision around checking ticket stubs in theaters
- Provide mandatory customer service training to AMC theater staff about protocol and policies
- Terminate the theater employees involved in the incident
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
