Mother of NJ teen with autism is suing Cinemark alleging her son was harassed and kicked out of the movie theater for going to the women’s bathroom with her
A mother of an autistic teen is suing her local movie theater, claiming her son was discriminated against and they were forced to leave after she took the teen to the women’s bathroom.
Christine Gallinaro and her 15-year-old son John had tickets to Disney’s Elemental on June 16 at the Cinemark Theater in Hazlet, New Jersey.
As previews of other films rolled, Gallinaro took her son to the women’s bathroom, as there were no family restrooms in the theater.
When the boy washed his hands, Gallinaro claims the theater manager burst into the bathroom and harassed her son, demanding they leave and even calling the local police.
Gallinaro now claims the movie theater violated New Jersey’s anti-discrimination law, claiming that the employees “intentionally or recklessly committed acts or omissions that caused emotional distress” to the teen.
Christine Gallinaro, right, claims she and her 15-year-old autistic son, John, left, were thrown out of the Cinemark theater in Hazlet, New Jersey after taking him to the women’s restroom
The lawsuit alleges that the theater manager burst into the bathroom when John was washing his hands and began harassing him. The theater is pictured here
According to the Gallinaros, John needs supervision in the bathroom.
“My son can function to a certain extent, but he needs supervision because of his motor planning skills and spatial awareness,” Christine shared Today. com.
She said she would normally have her husband accompany her to a public men’s room, but when he’s not there – and no family restroom is available – Gallinaro escorts the teen to the women’s room.
“Nobody ever gave me a hard time because I’m with him all the time,” Christine claimed.
And on that particular night, when she took John to the bathroom, there were other women in the toilet, but they all seemed to understand what was going on.
‘Immediately they see that he is with me. They understand why he’s in the bathroom with me,” Gallinaro said NJ. comand noted that one woman even “looked at me smiling.”
She said she escorted her son to a stall, and when he finished washing his hands — with Christine watching from the entrance to the bathroom — the theater’s 59-year-old female manager burst in.
“She brushed past me, quickly and aggressively to be inches (from) my son,” Christine said, adding “she gave him a very mean look and rolled her eyes and she looked at him.”
The mother claims in the lawsuit that the manager then started shouting discriminatory remarks, including that a “mature” man should not be in the women’s bathroom and “this is not a transgender bathroom.”
Gallinaro said ABC 7 she then tried to explain to the manager that her son is disabled, but “she stood her ground, she didn’t care.”
In fact, the manager then reportedly called police on the scene, after which Gallinaro began recording the confrontation on her cellphone.
After the police showed up, Gallinaro decided to record the confrontation. The video shows the assistant store manager saying he disagrees with what the manager did but she still had to leave, while a police officer says he agrees with Gallinaro but because the theater is a private business , the employees can kick her out
Christine Gallinaro posted about the experience on Facebook
Video shows a male assistant manager telling the woman, “I don’t agree with what she (the manager) did. But you’re causing a nuisance, so go away.’
Moments later, Gallinaro was heard telling a police officer at the scene that her son “has autism and I’m not going to leave him alone in a bathroom,” to which the officer said he “completely agreed.”
But he informs Gallinaro that the movie theater is a private company and the employees can remove patrons at will.
The lawsuit also alleges that after police were called to the theater, some employees tried to refund their tickets but were unable to process the transaction.
Instead, the workers allegedly offered free movie tickets to Gallinaro and her son, but the lawsuit said they “took no action to address the defendants’ transparently harassing and discriminatory behavior toward plaintiffs.”
The lawsuit names Cinema Hazlet, along with Cinemark USA, the manager, assistant manager and other theater employees as defendants, alleging that their conduct “exceeds all possible limits of decency and is considered abominable and utterly unacceptable in a civilized society.”
It alleges violations of New Jersey’s anti-discrimination law – which protects people with disabilities using public spaces, unequal treatment, hostile environment due to disability, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
She says she would like Cinemark to issue a formal apology to her son, noting that he now blames himself for what happened
Her attorney, Armen McOmber, also said he hopes the lawsuit will set a precedent so that other parents with children with disabilities don’t have the same experience.
“The message my son got was that he had done something terrible by using the bathroom,” Gallinaro argues.
She said John now feels responsible for what happened and refuses to go back to the cinema.
The lawsuit also says he is now afraid to use the bathroom in his own home and has trouble sleeping.
“He still apologizes to this day,” the mother told Today.com.
“Children with disabilities are already dealing with trauma,” she said. “To hear your mom publicly defend your bathroom use adds more layers.”
Gallinaro said she would like a formal apology from Cinemark.
“If my son chooses to return, I want him to be welcomed by Cinemark,” she said. “And I want to see more family bathrooms.”
That’s what her lawyer, Armen McOmber, told her News 12 New Jersey he hopes the lawsuit will set a precedent so other parents with disabled children don’t have the same experience.
A Hazlet theater manager told DailyMail.com that they cannot comment on pending lawsuits.
DailyMail.com has also reached out to the Cinemark company for comment.