NC civil rights leader’s lawsuit against movie theater chain can move ahead, federal judge rules 

GREENVILLE — A 2024 lawsuit filed by former North Carolina NAACP leader Rev. William Barber II against AMC Theaters can proceed, U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle ruled this week, denying a motion by the movie chain to dismiss the case.

The movie chain did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Filed under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the lawsuit stems from an incident in December 2023. Barber and his elderly mother went to the AMC Fire Tower 12 theater in Greenville to see a screening of “The Color Purple.”

Barber has a disability called ankylosing spondylitis, a debilitating condition that does not allow him to sit in normal seats. For years, he has brought a taller chair with him to public and private events.

According to the lawsuit, Barber had confirmed in advance that handicapped seating was available in the theater, and had set up his chair in that area in a way that would not obstruct anyone’s view.

However, the lawsuit says, the theater employees refused to allow him the accommodation, requiring him to produce a doctor’s note to verify his condition.

When Barber refused to leave, the employees called the police. The police escorted Barber out, leaving his 90-year-old mother behind, the lawsuit says. A video of the incident, taken by an onlooker, shows Barber using two canes to leave the theater with the officer.

The lawsuit claims the movie chain’s employees violated the ADA. It says Barber was embarrassed, defamed, and discriminated against because of his disability, and seeks damages of more than $50,000.

AMC filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, but Boyle denied it in a ruling Tuesday.