Calls for The Lyric Baltimore CEO to resign after mom, son escorted from theater over seat snafu

The former Deputy Executive Director of the ACLU of Maryland said she and her son were unjustly escorted out of The Lyric Baltimore after being placed in the wrong seats.

Now a petition is calling for the CEO and General Manager of the venue to step down.

Seat mishap at The Lyric Baltimore

Veronica Dunlap and her son celebrated Mother's Day by watching West Side Story at The Lyric Baltimore. On May 10, she said an usher guided her and her son to their seats while the lights were down.

Dunlap said things took a turn during intermission. After returning from the bathroom, she realized she was sitting in the wrong seat in the same row and moved.

Her son told her that a man yelled at him while she was away, claiming they stole his family's seats. Dunlap said she didn't want to make a big fuss but went back to retrieve snacks left under the other chair.

"When I stood up, it was a white couple," she said. "The woman in the chair, she said to me, yelled at me, actually, 'Why did you steal my seat, thief?'"

Escorted from The Lyric

After a moment of back and forth, Dunlap called security. That's when she said they were escorted out of the theater. Dunlap said it all stems from being placed in the wrong seat.

"The security team came out and surrounded me as if I was some sort of criminal," she said.

Dunlap said she saw The Lyric's CEO and General Manager Thomas Bailey and approached him about what happened. 

"The general manager's response was he didn't want to disrupt the performance by bringing the people out," Dunlap said. "I said, 'But it was OK for you to bring us out. They were the ones who initiated these disruptions.'"

She said Bailey told her she was being aggressive. She said she's heard from representatives from The Lyric, but has not received an apology from the venue.

"I just wouldn't see myself going to The Lyric anymore if there's not accountability and an apology," Dunlap said.

"It was my expectation that everyone would be welcomed," she said.

Petition calls for The Lyric CEO to resign

Dunlap has taken action against The Lyric.

"I did file a complaint with the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights," she said. "I also filed a complaint with the Maryland State Arts Commission."

A petition is circulating on social media calling for Bailey to step down.

"Let us be clear: what happened to Ms. Dunlap and her son was unacceptable," the petition says. "It was a public accommodation failure. It was a discriminatory institutional response. It was a weaponization of staff, security, and police power against a Black woman and her Black son who had every right to be present, protected, and treated with dignity."

The music venue's board of trustees released a statement saying a team of attorneys are investigating, adding the team is working to establish the facts and evaluate what needs to change.

"The engagement also includes a comprehensive review of The Lyric's applicable policies, procedures, and service agreements with vendors," the statement reads. "The Board's selection of this experienced team reflects its commitment to the safety and well-being of The Lyric's patrons, employees, and wider community."