A Black Family Says They Were Discriminated Against By A Missouri Waterpark

LEE'S SUMMIT, MO — A Black family says they were discriminated against by a Kansas City area waterpark when their 17-year-old’s birthday party was canceled at the last minute “for no apparent reason other than the color of their skin,” according to the teen’s father.

The Summit Waves waterpark in Lee’s Summit was reserved by the Evans family nearly a month in advance of the Aug. 6 event, but when the family’s sons arrived about an hour before the party was scheduled to start, they were told it was canceled, father Chris Evans said Tuesday morning at a news conference streamed on Facebook by KCTV5 News.

Evans and his wife were met at the park by Summit Waves staff accompanied by police, he said. A worker angrily denied the family access, and she was uncomfortable, according to Evans.

“They are good kids who make good grades, have bright futures and do not deserve to be treated like this,” Evans said of his sons. “There is no legitimate reason why the party was canceled. Instead, it appears to have been canceled simply because the park staff were uncomfortable with a group of Black teenagers having a pool party to enjoy the end of the summer.”

A 29-second video on TikTok shows part of the confrontation, including an employee confirming she was not comfortable with “the outreach” surrounding the event and standing near a police officer. The video, which has about 2 million views, shows a small group of teens clustered around the Evans family and the worker.

According to Evans, he signed a $1,900 contract to hold a party with up to 250 guests. He said the only notice he received of the cancellation was when a park employee called his work phone at 5:15 p.m. on the day of the party, a non-business day.

In a lengthy news release posted to Facebook on Tuesday evening, the waterpark, which is part of Lee's Summit Parks & Recreation, apologized and gave a detailed account of the events leading up to the cancellation, citing “missed processes and miscommunication.”

“A sincere apology is owed to the Evans family and our Lee’s Summit community,” the news release said. “LSPR strives to be a respectful and inclusive organization where all members of our community feel welcome and appreciated.”

Rental forms stipulated the party would not be publicized on social media, but the park said information about the event was posted on social media nonetheless. Additionally, staff failed to arrange security for the party, according to the park, which said it called the Evans family the day before the event and twice the day it was set to take place. The park also received about 15 calls the day of the party from parents with questions, according to the news release.

“Safety pertaining to the anticipated crowd size and the potential impact it might have on party guests and the staff was the sole reason for the cancellation,” the news release said, claiming the park told the Evans family the party was canceled 5:30 p.m. the day of the event.

A crowd of about 500 people still came out, but dispersed around 8 p.m., according to the waterpark.

Evans said there were nowhere near 500 people in the parking lot, questioned the concerns about posting the event on social media when the park uses social media for its own promotion, and noted his family hired off-duty security for the party. He also remarked that the park’s capacity is 600.

“If 500 show up, why is that scary to you? You’ve been handling 600,” he said. “What are you scared of, Lee’s Summit? Why are you uncomfortable?”

The family’s attorney, Ivan Nugent, said Tuesday they were considering legal action. The park has agreed to refund the family, although Nugent and the park gave conflicting reports of when the refund offer was made.

In a prepared statement Tuesday, Lee's Summit Mayor Bill Baird urged the parks department to "reevaluate their approach to communicating and interacting with patrons of our park system."

"Unfortunately, statements were made by a Parks and Recreation manager at Summit Waves that were inappropriate and insensitive," he said. "We must intentionally embrace a culture that is welcoming and inclusive, and we must continually denounce any urge or impulse to exclude."

In the wake of the cancellation, a Summit Waves lifeguard took to social media Sunday with a “disturbing” post, according to the park, which said, “appropriate actions would be taken with staff.”

"I want to expressly denounce comments posted by a Lee’s Summit Parks and Recreation employee on social media," Baird said. "The comments were appalling and not condoned by Parks and Recreation, and are inconsistent with the culture I know the City of Lee’s Summit strives to reflect."

The park had plans to review its rental process and enhance diversity and inclusion training, the news release said.

"The events this past Saturday provide the City of Lee’s Summit and Parks and Recreation with an opportunity to become better when it comes to creating and maintaining a culture of inclusivity," Baird said, urging the parks department to work with the city's Diversity and Inclusion Commission.

On Thursday, Summit Waves posted on Facebook that employees were “experiencing threats of violence and intimidation,” which Evans condemned in a statement, according to The Kansas City Star. The family has received violent threats as well, the Star reported.