COBB COUNTY, Ga — The family of a man with cerebral palsy says they are pausing legal action against Cumberland Mall after an incident that gained widespread attention online.
Demond Crump Sr. posted a now-viral video, explaining that the family was at the mall over the weekend after their company, Reign – a feminine hygiene brand – won a pitch competition through Morehouse College.
“Your prize was you had a chance to vend at the Cumberland Mall,” Crump said. “That’s why we were excited.”
But Crump said that excitement turned into confusion and disappointment when he said the mall’s general manager asked his son, who uses a wheelchair, to leave.
“Hey you’re saying my son has to leave, and he’s just standing there like yes, and I’m like but what is he doing, I said this is my child,” Crump said.
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On Sunday, Cumberland Mall management issued a statement saying in part, “This was a deeply unfortunate situation. We are very sorry for our poor communication causing this misunderstanding.”
However, on Wednesday, the mall provided a new statement saying, “We were simply trying to keep pathways clear. Again our team never asked the family to leave the shopping center.”
The Crump family disputes that version of events. “There was no conversation about let’s move you to another spot. There was no conversation about safety,” Crump said.
They said their video showed their setup was near the escalators near the Macy’s entrance and say it was not blocking any walkways. “He caused no problems,” Qiana Crump said.
The Crumps told Channel 2’s Eryn Rogers that their lawyers met with the mall’s legal team on Wednesday, and the conversation was positive and productive. Demond Sr. said that’s why they chose to pause any action for the time being.
Disability advocates emphasized that situations like this are why the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law 35 years ago this month.
“Certainly access to public spaces and things of that nature, it’s really meant to create an accommodation for things of that nature to level the playing field, so that they have the same access that other abled bodied individuals have,” said Meg Blackwood, the CEO of InCommunity of Georgia.
For Demond Crump Jr., the experience was painful. Rogers asked Demond Jr. if he was hurt by what happened. “Yeah,” he replied.
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The Crumps say the incident stripped them of a moment that could’ve fostered inclusion and awareness. “It would’ve created a culture of inclusion for everybody,” Qiana Crump said. “Definitely robbed of the moment of that and what we were able to show other people.”
United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Georgia also responded to the incident, saying:
United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Georgia is deeply concerned about the recent incident at Cumberland Mall, where a family, including a man with cerebral palsy, was asked to leave. We understand this situation caused distress, and we believe it highlights how important it is to create and maintain inclusive and welcoming spaces for people with disabilities.
Public and community spaces should be accessible and enjoyable for everyone, regardless of ability. We hope Cumberland Mall uses this as an opportunity to review its policies and practices to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
Our mission at UCP of Georgia is to support Life Without Limits for people with disabilities, which includes the right to enjoy community spaces without facing discrimination. We hope this regrettable incident will lead to positive changes and an increased focus on creating welcoming environments for everyone.
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