Chicago White Sox, plaintiffs agree to dismiss season ticket ADA lawsuit

Update:

• A pair of plaintiffs say they have settled a lawsuit against the Chicago White Sox over the team’s alleged failure to adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Plaintiffs Ralph Yaniz and Douglas McCormick, along with the White Sox, agreed to dismiss the lawsuit, with prejudice, and pay their own legal fees.
• U.S. District Judge LaShonda A. Hunt will now have to accept the settlement, terms of which were not disclosed in the filing.
• The plaintiffs claimed the White Sox did not sell accessible season tickets on its website and most accessible single-game tickets are not available for sale online. 

White Sox class action overview: 

• Who: Plaintiffs Ralph Yaniz and Douglas McCormick filed a class action lawsuit against the Chicago White Sox.
• Why: The plaintiffs allege the White Sox don’t offer accessible season tickets on their website and don’t offer many of the accessible single-game seats on their website even though many of those seats remained empty throughout the season.
• Where: The White Sox discrimination lawsuit was filed in federal court in Illinois.

(Sept. 20, 2023)

A new lawsuit claims the Chicago White Sox baseball team discriminates against those with disabilities because it does not sell accessible season tickets on its website. 

Plaintiffs Ralph Yaniz and Douglas McCormick filed a class action lawsuit against the White Sox, claiming most accessible single-game tickets are also not available for sale online. 

Instead, those with disabilities must call and get whatever White Sox tickets are available via phone instead of being able to view and choose from all available tickets online like other ticket purchasers can do.

“During a season where the White Sox have been historically bad and large swaths of seats at the ballpark remain empty, the White Sox have continued to engage in practices that discriminate against individuals with disabilities who wish to attend games,” the White Sox discrimination lawsuit claims.

White Sox only made accessible infield seats available once team was eliminated from playoffs, class action claims

During much of the season, the only White Sox tickets with accessible seating made available were in the outfield or upper deck, but once the team was eliminated from playoff contention, some accessible seating closer to the field was released, according to the White Sox discrimination class action.

The White Sox’s actions violate the section of the Americans with Disabilities Act on public accommodations, the lawsuit claims.

This summer, the Chicago Cubs defeated accusations that its stadium does not have adequate seating options for wheelchair users after the team countered that it is more accessible than ever before.

Have you ever been discriminated against due to a disability? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by Steven P. Blonder, Jason M. Rosenthal and Laura A. Elkayam of Much Shelist, P.C. and Charles R. Petrof of Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago.

The White Sox class action lawsuit is Yaniz, et al. v. Chicago White Sox Ltd., Case No. 1:23-cv-10714, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division.

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