A trampoline park in Whitby is apologizing after being accused of racism and discrimination towards a group of kids over the long weekend.
A man is urging Black residents in Durham region and Toronto to boycott Flying Squirrel after the indoor activity centre called the police on a large group of Black children during a private event this past Sunday.
“About 250 kids were supposed to be there,” the man said in a TikTok video posted on Monday.
The TikTok user explained that 15 pizzas were ordered for the group, and the order was fulfilled around 10:53 p.m. However, the man says the kids were soon after told to leave, with staff citing that the venue was to be closed at 11 p.m. Staff then allegedly called the police, to which the man said around six cruisers showed up.
“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,” the man said in the video.
“Because there’s all Black kids there,” he added.
A one-star Google review left on Flying Squirrel’s page echoes a similar sentiment, where the reviewer called their experience “disappointing and disturbing.”
“The level of racial discrimination displayed was appalling, and the manager’s behaviour was completely disrespectful toward the organizing party,” the Google user said.
The user recalled staff making claims of feeling unsafe, and accused Flying Squirrel of breaking 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 be fed. This was a blatant disregard for their agreements and a failure to provide any helpful solution.”
The reviewer on Google is calling for the more than 200 affected attendees to be refunded, especially due to the venue calling police on 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 members of the Central West Division were called to Flying Squirrel on Sunday at around 11:15 p.m. for a group of individuals that were “refusing to leave.”
“The business closed at 11 p.m. and the individuals refused to exit the establishment as directed by staff. Officers arrived on scene at approximately 11:25 p.m. and the group dispersed,” DRPS Const. Mitchell told Now Toronto in an email statement on Tuesday.
The police service assured that no arrests were made in relation to the incident.
Flying Squirrel took to Instagram to release an apologetic statement to disappointed social media users who posted about the incident.
“We want to take a moment to sincerely apologize for the experience at our Whitby location… We deeply regret that the experience did not reflect the level of care, inclusivity, and professionalism we strive to provide to all our guests,” the park wrote online on Monday.
The account said that its executive team has been in direct contact with the event organizers and were able to reach 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 to ensure we do better moving forward.”
Flying Squirrel said it’s in the process of actively reviewing its policies to prevent incidents like this in the future, and said it is committed to making real change.
“We are listening. We are learning. And most importantly, we are dedicated to making the changes necessary to ensure that every guest who visits us feels safe, valued, and heard.”
