Disabled Seven year-old, thrown out of theater for enjoying movie

By Dave Richardson
Times Herald-Record
drichardson@th-record.com

Town of Wallkill – If you're a 7-year-old kid with cerebral palsy
and autism, you have to take your laughs anywhere you can get
them.
Just don't have too much fun at the local movie theater, or you
might get thrown out.
That's what happened to young Anthony Pratti this week. To say
his parents are upset about it would be an understatement.
Anthony, who uses a wheelchair, was with his parents, his sister
and his grandmother at the Loews Cineplex theaters in the
Galleria at Crystal Run Sunday, watching a 1:15 p.m. matinee of
the G-rated film "March of the Penguins."
The family sat in the wheelchair section provided by the theater.
Anthony was having a good time, said his mom, Gina Pratti.
"He was laughing, but he really wasn't much louder than any of
the other kids," she said.
About 15 minutes into the film, one of the theater's managers
approached the family, she said.
"He said our son was laughing too loud," Pratti said. "My
husband told him Anthony didn't understand, that he was
disabled, but that we'd try to quiet him down."
Not good enough, apparently – the manager brusquely told the
family that Anthony had to leave, Pratti said.
Outraged, the family followed the manager to the lobby, where
they were told they all didn't have to leave – just Anthony,
Pratti said.
Pratti was dumbfounded.
"I said to him, what are we supposed to do, wheel him outside
and leave him there?" she said.
The manager refunded the family's ticket purchase and sent
them on their way, she said.
Pratti and her husband have spent the past three days making
phone calls and sending e-mails, trying to get someone –
anyone – from Loews to give them an explanation.
"Not one person from Loews has called me back," Pratti said.
When contacted by the Times Herald-Record yesterday, a
representative of Loews corporate headquarters said the
company is concerned by Pratti's story, and is looking into
Sunday's events.
The company says it will issue a statement today.
Pratti has spoken with attorneys about the incident, but isn't sure
she wants to pursue any legal action.
Meanwhile, Pratti says she hopes Loews will do whatever it
takes to make amends.
"This was only the third movie Anthony had ever seen, and now
we're afraid to go back because they might throw us out again,"
Pratti said.
Explanations aside, Pratti has a simple message for the
manager she says publicly humiliated her son:
"Shame on you."