White Sox Ticket Sales Discriminates Against Disabled: Suit

CHICAGO — A pair of Chicago White Sox fans who live with disabilities sued the franchise on Wednesday, alleging that the organization does not offer season-ticket packages to people with disabilities, according to the lawsuit.

Park Ridge resident Ralph Yaniz and Chicago resident Douglas McCormick sued the Sox in a lawsuit that was filed on Wednesday in federal court in Chicago. The two fans are being represented by Much Shelist, a Chicago law firm that specializes in advancing disability rights. Advocacy group Access Living was also involved in representing the two fans.

The suit alleges that the Sox engage in discriminatory ticket sales practices and refuse to sell season tickets on the team’s website to those needing to sit in areas of Guaranteed Rate Field that are covered by the Americans With Disabilities Act. The suit said that this forces people with disabilities who want season tickets to call to make a purchase, limiting the seats they can purchase to the few offered over the phone instead of allowing them to choose from all unsold accessible seats like standard season ticket purchasers can do on the website.

The suit said that the Sox are “historically bad” and often have large swaths of open seating at the ballpark. The suit also claims that the Sox have "discriminatory restrictions" on the website sale of accessible single-game tickets, only offering a small percentage of accessible seats for sale, and frequently limiting them to only certain areas of the stadium or certain games during the year, according to a news release issued by Access Living.

The suit also claims that the White Sox website primarily offered accessible seating in the outfield or upper deck. Only after the White Sox were assured of not making the playoffs did the Sox release some accessible seats for sale closer to the infield on the main level, the suit says.

In a statement issued by the club on Wednesday, the Sox said: "We are disappointed by this lawsuit as the White Sox always hope to accommodate the needs of all our fans at the ballpark. The White Sox comply with all legal requirements and provide significant accessible seating at our games for our guests. We strongly believe that White Sox baseball is for everyone.

“While litigation is pending, we will not have any additional comment.”

McCormick, a long-time season ticket holder who worked for the scaffolding company that was part of the construction of the Sox ballpark, said he attempted to change his season tickets to an ADA-approved area of the ballpark and was told he was not able to do so.

“Imagine helping in the construction of the home stadium for your team and being told you can’t buy season tickets to go to games there,” said McCormick, who requires mobility assistance. “Well, that’s exactly what the White Sox told me after decades of supporting them.”

Yaniz, who also struggles with mobility issues, said that he attempted to purchase season tickets on the team’s website and was not permitted. He said he also struggled to find accessible seating for individual games on the website and only found limited options.

“It’s outrageous for aging and disabled fans like me to be treated this way,” Yaniz said. “Accessible seats should be open to those who need them in every section of the ballpark.”

The suit is asking the court to declare that the Sox are in violation of the ADA under its current ticket-selling practices. The group is also seeking for the Sox to begin offering season tickets online for those living with disabilities and to offer unsold seats in wheelchair-accessible areas of the ballpark through other means than on their website.

“Disabled people deserve to enjoy the same passions as everyone else, and federal law has made this clear when it comes to public accommodations,” Steven Blonder, principal and Much Shelist said in a news release. “Baseball is America’s game and with the White Sox's long legacy in Chicago and the team’s variety of fans, the White Sox should want every one of them —including those with disabilities — to be able to enjoy a game.”