Bishop William Barber II has filed a federal lawsuit against AMC Theatres, seeking a jury trial and damages exceeding $25,000. The lawsuit stems from an incident on December 26, 2023, at the AMC Fire Tower 12 theater in Greenville, North Carolina, where Barber was escorted out after attempting to use his own chair to accommodate his medical condition.
Barber, a prominent civil rights leader and former president of the North Carolina NAACP, suffers from ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis that affects the spine. Due to this condition, he requires a specialized chair for seating. On the day of the incident, Barber brought his chair to the theater to watch “The Color Purple” with his 90-year-old mother. Despite the auditorium having a wheelchair-accessible section, theater staff informed him that he could not use his chair, citing safety concerns. When Barber objected, the staff called local police, who escorted him out of the theater.
In a statement, Barber emphasized that the lawsuit addresses broader issues of corporate responsibility and the rights of individuals with disabilities: “This isn’t about me. It’s about corporations like AMC who think they can treat people any way they want and get away with it. It’s about every man, woman, and child who faces pain and physical obstacles every single day and the CEOs who couldn’t care less.”
AMC Theatres Chairman and CEO Adam Aron contacted Barber following the incident. The company issued a statement expressing their commitment to accommodating guests with disabilities: “AMC welcomes guests with disabilities. We have a number of accommodations in place at our theaters at all times, and our theater teams work hard to accommodate guests who have needs that fall outside the normal course of business. We encourage guests who require special seating to speak with a manager in advance to see what can best be accommodated at the theater to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for the guest and those around them. We are also reviewing our policies with our theater teams to help ensure situations like this do not occur again.”
This incident has drawn attention to AMC’s history with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In 2006, the company faced a federal court order to improve wheelchair seating in approximately 1,200 of its stadium-style auditoriums, following allegations of ADA violations. The order required AMC to provide ramps in over 360 auditoriums and ensure that future theaters complied with ADA construction guidelines. Additionally, AMC was ordered to pay $200,000 in damages to complainants and $100,000 in civil penalties.
Barber’s lawsuit underscores ongoing concerns about accessibility and reasonable accommodations in public venues. The ADA mandates that public accommodations make reasonable modifications to policies and practices to ensure access for individuals with disabilities, unless such modifications would fundamentally alter the nature of the services provided.
As this case progresses, it highlights the importance of compliance with ADA regulations and the need for public venues to ensure that their facilities and policies are inclusive and accommodating to all patrons.
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