Partygoers accused Flying Squirrel staff of being racist and discriminatory to the attendees, who were primarily minors under the age of 12. (Courtesy: Flying Squirrel)
The founder of a Whitby trampoline park is apologizing to the Black community after his staff called the police on a group of kids attending a private event, sparking outrage and controversy.
An after-hours event hosted by non-profit organization Melanin Takeover Foundation at Flying Squirrel turned awry on Sunday night, which the company’s Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer Luke Schueler says was due to “a simple miscommunication.”
More than 200 patrons were expected to attend the event, marketed as a Slumber Glow Party; a glow-in-the-dark celebration of Black joy, fun, and community, according to the organization’s Instagram. But hours after the event, attendees took to social media to express their disappointment at the turnout.
Partygoers accused Flying Squirrel staff of being racist and discriminatory to the attendees, who were primarily minors under the age of 12. There were alleged issues with food orders coming out late, staff feeling “unsafe” to turn off the lights with the amount of Black children in the venue, and ultimately, concluding the event with police ushering everyone out.
While Schueler attributes the majority of the issues to staffing shortages caused by Sunday’s severe weather conditions, he also admits that staff on-site did not effectively communicate with attendees.
“We were unable to adequately staff the neon lights event. When communicating this decision, the management team did not sufficiently explain the rationale behind the lighting decision,” Schueler explained to Now Toronto in a three-page email statement on Wednesday.
“We believe that had we effectively communicated that this decision was made purely based on safety considerations rather than any racial factors, the outcome of the event would have been markedly different.”
As per the inconsistency of food for the event, Schueler also explained that the storm resulted in many staff members being unable to come to work, adding that the cashier on-site was “not prepared” to handle the number of food orders.
Schueler said he understands why individuals may have felt disheartened or discriminated against, and assured that he “deeply regrets” the negative impression and pain the issues created.
“On behalf of the management team, I convey that upon realizing the implications of their actions, they were taken aback and deeply concerned about the unintentional harm they caused,” he said.
“Our intention was never to inflict distress; rather, our primary focus was on ensuring the safety of our guests.”
Attendees claimed that at the end of the event, they witnessed between six to eight police cruisers show up to remove people from the venue. Schuler says that due to staffing restraints and labour laws, Flying Squirrel’s management team had to close the facility at 11:00 p.m., the expected end time of the event. He says patrons’ outbursts and frustration led the off-site general manager to call the non-emergency police line to assist with the situation, but now admits that the decision was a “mistake.”
“We regret that an organization that does great work in the community had to endure this disparate treatment and we take full responsibility for the outcome of this event.”
The venue said that as a show of good faith, Flying Squirrel will be issuing refunds to the attendees, as well as arranging a future free event for the Melanin Takeover Foundation to make amends.
“We understand that our efforts may never fully address the impact of this incident, but we are steadfastly committed to acknowledging what occurred,” he said.
“We respectfully request your understanding and forgiveness. While we do not claim to be infallible, we remain dedicated to learning from our challenges, striving for equity, and fostering greater community cohesion.”
The Melanin Takeover Foundation said that Schueler personally reached out to the organization by phone call and assured that the staff responsible will be held accountable for their actions.
“Falsely calling the police on Black people… knowing that a majority of Black people do not inherently feel safe around the police is absolutely disgusting, wrong and directly works in contrast with what Melanin Takeover stands for and practices,” the organization said in a statement on Instagram.
“In 2025, there should be no space where hate or racism is tolerated.”
