NJ mom’s lawsuit over kid who called her ‘Karen’ at amusement park dismissed

A New Jersey appeals court upheld a decision to dismiss a mother’s lawsuit over children who heckled her and called her a “Karen” at an indoor amusement park, according to a report.

The 55-year-old woman from Edison was at a birthday party at iPlay America in Freehold with her two kids in October 2022 when a worker told her she didn’t meet the height requirement for a go-kart ride, NJ.com reported, citing the original lawsuit filed in June 2024.

After approaching a supervisor to explain she had been on that same ride several times, “children waiting in line behind her became upset and began to shout at her because of the delay, calling her a ‘white b—-’ and (Karen),” according to the suit in Middlesex County Superior Court.

The woman then “felt discriminated against,” and “terribly embarrassed and humiliated” because she was wrongfully denied access to the IPA Speedway Go-Kart ride, the document alleged.

After being turned away, she had to walk past the line and pass the group of rowdy kids, the lawsuit said.

Her discomfort was amplified by the fact that her “two minor children were present for the entire event,” court documents said.

The woman’s lawsuit alleged that iPlay America was negligent for not allowing her to take a spin around on the ride and that the massive indoor fun center was responsible for preventing other guests from yelling at her, the outlet reported.

A trial court dismissed her lawsuit on Oct. 11, 2024, and a state appellate court upheld the dismissal on Friday.

“We are unpersuaded by plaintiff’s arguments and determine the trial court did not err in its findings,” the appeals court wrote in an 11-page decision obtained by the outlet.

“Preventing certain communications between patrons is not feasible,” the decision said, per the outlet.

“Unlike dangerous physical conditions that can be inspected and remedied, or criminal activity that can be deterred through security measures, verbal insults that occur spontaneously cannot be reasonably prevented,” the court ruled.