BIRMINGHAM, Mich. – A movie theater in Birmingham is changing it's policy regarding allowing unaccompanied minors in.
Last month, Emagine Entertainment was criticized by the American Civil Liberties Union over its policy to bar minors at its Palladium theater unless they are accompanied by an adult or have a membership that costs $350 annually. The ACLU said the policy discriminated against teens and violated the state's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.
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Emagine CEO Paul Glantz said the policy was in response to "misbehavior" of certain teens. But in response to the criticism, Emagine said "teenagers of non-members are now welcome to attend unaccompanied by an adult provided that the individual has been authorized to do so and the teen's parent or legal guardian accepts responsibility for the behavior of his/her child."
There is now a form parents can print and fill out.
View a copy: Emagine Palladium Birmingham authorization form
Full statement from Emagine Entertainment:
Michigan owned and operated Emagine Entertainment, Inc. is pleased to announce that, in response to criticism of its teen admission standards at Emagine Palladium, it will slightly alter its policy effective immediately.
In response to the misbehavior of certain teens at its venue on Saturday evening, October 3rd, Emagine Palladium implemented a policy requiring persons under 18 to be accompanied by an adult or the unaccompanied minor be a child of a Platinum Member. The premise was that members' children were bound to Emagine's "Common Courtesy Code of Conduct" as a condition of membership. The terms thereof provide for revocation of membership (without refund) for misbehavior. A major underpinning of the policy was to simply ensure that Emagine's guests enjoy the very best moviegoing experience in the marketplace. Shortly thereafter, management's intentions were misconstrued and certain individuals wrongly suggested that Emagine's policy constituted discrimination. Renowned Wayne State University constitutional law professor, Robert Sedler, noted that Emagine was well within its rights to implement such a policy and that the courts would likely uphold its position.
Notwithstanding the confidence of management in its position, Emagine's leadership has, in an effort to address the concerns expressed by its critics, altered its policy to reinforce its commitment to welcoming guests of all ages. Accordingly, teenagers of non-members are now welcome to attend unaccompanied by an adult provided that the individual has been authorized to do so and the teen's parent or legal guardian accepts responsibility for the behavior of his/her child. Emagine CEO, Paul Glantz, notes "all we have ever sought to do is to operate the venue in a genteel and civilized fashion free of misbehavior and untoward disturbances perpetrated on innocent guests. Our new policy gives us confidence that we'll achieve that goal by requiring that a non-member teen's parent accept responsibility for his/her child's behavior in our venue." Much like the contract a parent would sign allowing an underage person to participate in sporting activities, Emagine's Parental Authorization and Agreement (copy attached) delineates the expectations for a guest's behavior and places the responsibility for adherence with such standards on a responsible adult. (Individuals 18 and over are not required to sign such an acknowledgement as societal norms recognize that an adult is responsible for his/her own behavior and it is well established in law that minors can be treated differently than adults.)