TAYLOR, Mich. – A woman is outraged after she and her son, who has autism, were kicked out of a trampoline park in Taylor and laughed at, she said.
The Flat Rock family said their weekend fun was cut short when they were kicked out of the Sky Zone indoor trampoline park in Taylor because a woman was trying to help her son with autism.
The family said the son, Abel, had a meltdown, and the staff was laughing at him and making fun of him. That's their side of the story, but Sky Zone officials are still looking into the incident.
Even though Dawn Hauley has three sons, a lot of her time is devoted to Abel. The boy is almost 6 years old, but his mother said he has the mind of a 2-year-old.
"He likes Chuck E. Cheese's," Hauley said. "He liked Sky Zone until we got kicked out."
The family said it was asked to leave Saturday after they went to Sky Zone with friends for a fun day. Abel has a hard time jumping, so Hauley paid for a pass and went on the trampoline to help.
She said a staff member told her she wasn't allowed on it. When she tried to explain her situation, she said the staff member told them to leave.
"I can understand rules, but don't laugh at my child because he's disabled," Hauley said.
She said the staff members laughed at Abel when they tried to leave and he threw a massive fit. Hauley said employees were ridiculing him.
"It was humiliating," Hauley said. "He can't help that he's autistic. He can't help that he's not like every other 5-year-old out there."
Sky Zone released the following statement about the incident:
"On Saturday evening, our Sky Zone team members observed an adult guest actively jumping in the same trampoline square with a child. As two people jumping in the same trampoline square is against Sky Zone's safety rules, we kindly asked the adult guest involved to relocate to another trampoline square to ensure the safety of both guests as well as everyone in the park. At no time were the guests asked to leave the park. At Sky Zone, we view guest safety as our top priority which is why these rules are enforced for all guests. We also take guest feedback seriously and we are working with the family to find a resolution."