In an unusually firm response to a disturbing act of racism on park property, Knott’s Berry Farm has issued a 99-year ban to a guest who hurled racial slurs and threats at a Latino family during a ride incident on July 12. The shocking event came to public attention after a Reddit user posted a firsthand account of what happened on the Dragon Swing attraction in Fiesta Village—and the post quickly caught fire among theme park fans and advocates for accountability.
The Redditor, who was riding with his wife, niece, and nephew at the time, described the encounter as “traumatic,” especially for the young children who were targeted. According to the account, the woman began shouting and cursing at the ride operator before turning her rage toward a nearby family. She allegedly called the mother and daughter—who appeared to be around 10 years old—derogatory names, told them to “go back to Mexico,” and threatened to call ICE on the family, the ride operator, and everyone else on the attraction.
In a heartbreaking twist, the family reportedly responded that they were Puerto Rican, not Mexican, to which the woman allegedly escalated her insults. When the ride was understandably stopped, the parents attempted to confront the woman, who reportedly fled the area with her Latino husband before park security arrived.
Knott’s Berry Farm Responds with Lifetime-Level Ban
In a follow-up Reddit post, the original poster shared an email from Michael Bogosian, Director of Safety and Security at Knott’s Berry Farm, who confirmed that the guest had been identified and banned from all Six Flags properties for 99 years.
In response to the racist lady on 7/12
byu/Xanxth1 inKnottsBerryFarm
The email read in part:
“We are a family friendly theme park and take matters such as this very seriously. We were made aware of this incident and officers from my department did in fact contact this person. Based on their behaviors they were issued a 99-year ban from all Six Flags properties.”
Reddit Applauds Knott’s for Taking a Stand
The reaction online was overwhelmingly positive, with commenters praising the theme park for backing up its zero-tolerance policy with real action.
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“I LOVE this! A lot of companies SAY that they have zero tolerance for racism, but Knott’s is out here really showing up!!”
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“Yes totally agree, it’s great to finally see companies being more proactive towards their policies.”
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“Hell yeah! Glad to hear they followed up on this. Gotta take out the trash.”
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“That’s awesome Knott’s Took care of that! 99 year ban! Haha the best punishment ever just wonder how they can actually enforce that.”
A Reminder That Hate Has No Place in the Parks
Incidents like these are sadly not new to the theme park industry, but Knott’s Berry Farm’s response is being held up as a strong example of how guest behavior can and should be addressed.
The original poster of the Reddit thread said it best:
“There is no room for hate in this world and I hope that little girl can heal and move on from such a traumatic event.”
Knott’s Berry Farm has not made a formal public statement beyond the direct communication with the guest who reported the incident, but the message is clear: racism and harassment will not be tolerated within their gates—not now, and not for the next 99 years.
