Mother who sued school after her then two-year-old daughter was seen screaming in terror at Easter Bunny in viral video that left teachers in tears of laughter settles lawsuit
Mother who sued school after her then-two-year-old daughter screamed in fear at Easter Bunny in viral video that left teachers in tears of laughter, settles lawsuit
- A mom whose toddler went viral because she was terrified of the Easter bunny has sued her daughter’s daycare
- Cassandra Bryson settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed amount
- She alleged negligence, invasion of privacy and inflicting emotional distress
A Florida mom who sued her daughter’s daycare for sharing a video of the toddler screaming in fear at the Easter bunny, which then went viral, has settled her lawsuit.
Cassandra Bryson sued Around the World Learning Center in Kissimmee, Florida, in 2018 after an employee shared a video of her daughter’s terrified reaction to an adult in an Easter bunny costume
The video was viewed 17 million times and was even used by talk show host Jimmy Kimmel in his late night show monologue.
Bryson alleged negligence, invasion of privacy and inflicting emotional distress in the lawsuit.
Documents filed with the court show that five years after the viral incident, Bryson and the school settled for an undisclosed amount.
Surai Bryson was only two and a half when the video of her went viral with 17 million views
Cassandra Bryson is the mom of the toddler who went viral for screaming in terror during a surprise visit from the Easter Bunny at daycare
She said at the time, “This isn’t funny. My child is injured.’
Surai Bryson was two and a half when the Easter Bunny made a surprise visit to her classroom.
The video went viral after an employee posted the video to Snapchat with the caption “I’m crying.”
In addition to charges against the school for violating Surai’s privacy and neglecting her, the lawsuit also alleged emotional distress, saying, “There was no parent consultation before bringing this adult-sized Easter Bunny into the classroom.” ‘
Bryson had signed a form denying the school permission to share photos of her daughter in most scenarios. This included Facebook, YouTube and the school’s website.
At a 2021 hearing, the school’s lawyers denied the claims, saying the Around the World Learning Center could not be sued under Florida’s “Impact Rule” because there was no physical impact on the little girl.
A daycare worker uploaded a video of little Surai Byrson’s reaction to the adult in the Easter bunny costume
Documents filed with the court show that five years after the viral incident, Bryson and the school settled for an undisclosed amount.
Surai’s mother said she had filled out a form expressly forbidding the nursery from videotaping the little girl
Cassandra Bryson sued the Around the World Learning Center in Kissimmee, Florida in 2018
Kyle Wilhelm was the attorney representing the center in the lawsuit.
He said, “Neither the Easter Bunny nor the employee physically impacted the child… There is absolutely no physical impact at the time of the omission.”
The Bryson family’s attorney, Scott Leeds, agreed that the Impact Rule used by Wilhelm for his argument does apply, but that the situation complies with it.
Leeds said: “I honorably declare to you that the startling reaction, her leaping out of her chair and her knocking on the other chair, in this case satisfies the impact rule, Reverend… No matter how great or small, any force, visible or invisible, and this is visible, would be satisfactory.’
Wilhelm argued back, saying, “There’s no evidence that the Easter Bunny shook the classroom, there’s no evidence that this employee shook the classroom.”
Surai’s mother said the video sparked racist reactions online.
Leeds said: ‘This video continues to be viewed on global social media platforms, where some people continue to make derogatory and racist comments.’
Scott Leeds is the attorney for the Bryson family
Kyle Wilhelm was the attorney representing the daycare center in the lawsuit.
The lawyer wants to find out which employee recorded the video.
The mother confronted the daycare owner. “She said she was sorry. I told her I had signed a document that I did not want my child to be photographed or videotaped. She was aware of that. She had it in her file,” Bryson said.
Bryson said, “This must never happen again. I know this will not be the case, but if anything can be done with regard to mobile phone policies in schools and the emphasis on children’s education, which is the main goal of sending children to daycare – get a head start – then that is definitely what I want to do. “I want to be the result of this.”