A trampoline park in Whitby has issued an apology after being accused of racism and discrimination against a group of children during the long weekend.
A man is encouraging Black residents in the Durham region and Toronto to boycott Flying Squirrel, following an incident where the indoor entertainment venue called the police on a large group of Black children at a private event this past Sunday.
“About 250 kids were supposed to be there,” he stated in a Tik Tok video shared on Monday.
The Tik Tok user mentioned that 15 pizzas were ordered for the group, which arrived around 10:53 p. m. However, he claims that shortly after, staff asked the kids to leave, citing that the venue would close at 11 p. m. Staff allegedly then called the police, with around six cruisers reportedly arriving on site.
“It was supposed to be a glow-in-the-dark night, and they said to the kids… the manager and the organizers said that they don’t feel safe turning off the lights,” he explained in the video.
“Because there’s all Black kids there,” he added.
A one-star Google review left on Flying Squirrel’s page expressed similar feelings, describing their experience as “disappointing and disturbing.”
“The level of racial discrimination displayed was appalling, and the manager’s behavior was completely disrespectful toward the organizing party,” noted the Google user.
The reviewer recalled staff expressing feelings of being unsafe and accused Flying Squirrel of breaching their contract.
“Not only did they violate their contractual commitments, but they also chose to kick everyone out without even allowing the group to finish their event or eat. This was a blatant disregard for their agreements and a failure to provide any helpful solution.”
The reviewer is urging for refunds for over 200 affected attendees due to police involvement concerning the children.
“This experience is a poor reflection of Flying Squirrel and their true stance when it comes to serving a diverse group of people,” they said.
“This is an absolutely horrible display of discrimination and unprofessionalism.”
Durham Regional Police Services (DRPS) confirmed to Now Toronto that officers from Central West Division were called to Flying Squirrel on Sunday around 11:15 p. m. regarding individuals who were “refusing to leave.”
“The business closed at 11 p. m., and those individuals refused to exit as directed by staff. Officers arrived at approximately 11:25 p. m., and eventually, the group dispersed,” DRPS Const. Mitchell told Now Toronto in an email statement on Tuesday.
The police service assured that no arrests were made concerning this incident.
Flying Squirrel took to Instagram with an apologetic message addressing upset social media users discussing what happened.
“We want to take a moment to sincerely apologize for the experience at our Whitby location… We deeply regret that this experience did not reflect our commitment to care, inclusivity, and professionalism we strive for with all our guests,” wrote the park online on Monday.
The account stated that its executive team has been directly communicating with event organizers and reached an “amicable resolution.”
“We know that this goes beyond just one event-this has been a moment of reflection for us, and we are committed to learning from it so we can do better moving forward.”
Flying Squirrel mentioned it’s actively reviewing its policies aimed at preventing future incidents like this one while committing itself towards making real changes.
“We are listening. We are learning. And most importantly, we are dedicated to making necessary changes so every guest feels safe, valued, and heard.”
“We are listening. We are learning. And most importantly, we are dedicated to making necessary changes so every guest feels safe, valued, and heard.”
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