'I was so angry': Family kicked out of movie over complaints about disabled son
A mother was in tears after she was kicked out of a movie theatre following complaints her disabled son was making too much noise.
Jennifer Daly wrote on Facebook she took her two sons to the AMC Theatre in Lake in the Hills in the US state of Illinois on Saturday to watch Dumbo.
One of her sons Jonathan has a rare form of dwarfism and Ms Daly said it was a huge feat for her to be able to accomplish taking him to the movies.
“It’s not easy with Jonathan’s oxygen and feeding bag and just carrying him to be able to go and do this,” she wrote.
The mother claimed her three-year-old son giggled twice “no longer than 20 seconds each” and 10 minutes later a staff member told her somebody had complained about a crying baby.
“I looked at her and said he did not cry, he giggled twice. I was told I immediately have to pack up to leave,” the shocked mother wrote.
“I was mortified, never in my life have I ever been kicked out of anything especially if I had done nothing wrong.
“I was at the top back of the theatre to try and stay out of anyone’s way.”
Ms Daly said when they left the theatre she was so angry she cried as it was difficult for her to take both her sons to the movies.
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“I don’t understand why I am being kicked out. Someone’s cell phone was going off for over a minute, someone else was holding their phone up with their light on to video record the movie, someone else was talking and I am being kicked out? Are you serious?” the frustrated mother said.
After complaining to staff the mother was told she could go back into the film and sit in the front row but Ms Daly told her her son could not turn his head due to cervical spine issues.
She was then told she could sit over to the side but the mother did not return to the movie and instead got a refund.
The Facebook post said the apologetic staff member gave the mother her details so she could arrange another time to see a movie.
“Jonathan is the sweetest child, does not have a mean bone in his body,” she wrote.
“I am so sad and angry because somebody can be that cruel and get a child kicked out for something that was not warranted.”
Ms Daly shared her story in the hope it would not happen to another family.
“I don’t know if I will ever feel like I could go to the movies again because I won’t be able to enjoy myself if my son laughs that I might get kicked out,” she said.
AMC Theatres corporate communications director Ryan Noonan told Yahoo News Australia in a statement the manager received a number of complaints but worked to solve the issue.
“During the conversation with the guest’s mother, the manager offered several options, including relocating the family within the auditorium to minimise the disruption, offering a private show for the family and informing her of AMC’s Sensory Friendly Films programs, which waives AMC’s rules on disruptive behaviour during a movie,” he said in a statement.
“The guest received a refund, but declined all of the other options offered. However, we remain open to a discussion with the family about welcoming them back to see the movie.
“We want everyone to feel welcome at the movie theatre, which is why AMC and the Autism Society established the Sensory Friendly Films program more than a decade ago.
“AMC is proud to offer unique movie showings where we turn the lights up, and turn the sound down, so guests can get up, dance, walk, shout or sing.”
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