Barber said employees told him he couldn’t make use of the special chair he employs due to a medical condition. AMC, the parent company, quickly apologized.
A North Carolina movie theater called the police on the
AMC apologized immediately, he said, its chief executive, Adam Aron, reaching out to him. The two agreed to meet next week.
“I’ve had very positive conversations with him and with the police chief,” Barber said.
Barber serves as pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church, Disciples of Christ in Goldsboro, North Carolina. A former president of the North Carolina NAACP, he’s long been active in social causes and serves as president and senior lecturer of Repairers of the Breach, a “nationwide network of faith-based intersectional justice organizations,” according to his Economic Policy Institute biography.
WTVD reported that AMC issued a statement, reading: “We sincerely apologize to Bishop Barber for how he was treated, and for the frustration and inconvenience brought to him, his family, and his guests. AMC’s Chairman and CEO Adam Aron has already telephoned him and plans to meet with him in person in Greenville, North Carolina, next week to discuss both this situation and the good works Bishop Barber is engaged in throughout the years.
“AMC welcomes guests with disabilities,” the company maintains. “We have a number of accommodations in place at our theatres at all times, and our theatre teams work hard to accommodate guests who have needs that fall outside of 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 that situations like this do not occur again.”
