Mom says she was kicked out of Hazlet movie theater for helping son with autism in bathroom
By Web Staff
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HAZLET, New Jersey (WCBS) — A New Jersey mother is suing a movie theater for discrimination after she says she and her son were kicked out.
Christine Gallinaro says the incident happened in June at the Cinemark theater in Hazlet.
She says she was helping her 15-year-old son, who has autism, use the women’s restroom when a manager told them to leave.
“I try to, like, diminish this impact for him and whisper to her, ‘He is disabled.’ That was her opportunity to pause and say, oh my goodness, let me recalculate here and reset. And she didn’t. She stood her ground and kind of gave me a I-don’t-care attitude and said a grown man or boy should not be in the … women’s bathroom,” Gallinaro said.
Police were called, and Gallinaro and her son were escorted out.
She says there was no family restroom at that theater.
Gallinaro hopes the lawsuit brings awareness so other children with disabilities won’t have the same experience.
We reached out to Cinemark for comment but have not heard back.
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