Water park accused of racism for cancelling Black teen’s party as 250 guests arrived

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A water park outside Kansas city is under fire for racial discrimination after abruptly cancelling a Black teen’s birthday party as guests began to arrive. Mr Evans said while he and his wife were en route to the park to join the festivities, he recieved a message from a park official saying “this event doesn’t represent Lee’s Summit Waves and that my reservation was cancelled because she was uncomfortable”. Lee’s Summit city officials on Monday defended the park’s decision to cancel the party, arguing that 500 teenagers had showed up for the party after it was advertised on social media and that certain social media posts made park officials concerned about ensuring the “safety of party guests”. “The comments were appalling and not condoned by Parks and Recreation, and are inconsistent with the culture I know the City of Lee’s Summit strives to reflect,” Mr Baird said.