*ORLANDO, Fla. — Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump and co-counsels Mark Marderosian and Michele Rayner-Goolsby have filed a civil lawsuit against Walt Disney World, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, and associated entities for the wrongful and traumatic arrest of Hester Burkhalter.
Then 69-year-old Ms. Burkhalter, her husband, their disabled adult daughter, and their two youngest children arrived in Orlando from North Carolina for what they believed to be their dream vacation in April 2019. Ms. Burkhalter suffers from severe arthritis and was recommended, by her doctor, to treat it with CBD oil.
At the Magic Kingdom security checkpoint, Disney employees found the CBD oil, separated Ms. Burkhalter from her family, and alerted local law enforcement. Upon receiving a negative field result for THC, local authorities tested the substance again instead of letting Ms. Burkhalter into the park. The second field test was positive for THC, and Ms. Burkhalter was detained, processed as a narcotics felon, and given a body cavity strip search.
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During the transport to the station by Orange County sheriff deputies, Ms. Burkhalter suffered a mild panic attack and vomited. Despite her numerous requests for medical assistance, Ms. Burkhalter’s pleas were ignored.
Attorney Crump issued the following statement regarding the lawsuit: “Disney’s stated mission is to make everyone’s dreams come true. Instead, they turned a harmless grandmother’s expensive Disney vacation into a nightmare by treating her like a criminal with the full participation of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. We have given Disney and Orange County several chances to own their mistakes and make this right. The arrogance, complacency and lack of corporate responsibility demonstrated by these organizations demand correction and justice.”
About Ben Crump Law
Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump and his national network of specialized attorneys have spearheaded a legal movement to better protect the rights of marginalized citizens. He has led landscape-changing civil rights cases and represented clients in a wide range of areas including civil rights, personal injury, labor and employment, class actions, and more. Ben Crump Law is dedicated to holding the powerful accountable. For more, visit BenCrump.com or call (800) 935-8111.
About Mark Marderosian
Mr. Marderosian is a New York based attorney and a partner in a boutique specialized firm, Cohen & Marderosian. Mark has extensive experience in civil rights and reparations related-litigation.
