The Around the World Learning Center in Kissimmee, Florida. Inset left: Cassandra Bryson, whose daughter was frightened by the Easter Bunny (all images via YouTube screengrab/WESH).
The Florida school sued by the mother of a young girl whose terrified reaction to the Easter Bunny went viral has settled the claim.
In March 2018, Cassandra Bryson's daughter, then 2 1/2 years old, was seen screaming in abject terror as someone wearing an Easter Bunny costume entered the classroom at the Around the World Learning Center in Kissimmee.
An employee of the school posted the video to Snapchat with a caption indicating that they were "crying" with laughter at the little girl's reaction. The video got some 17 million views, and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel even used it as a punchline on his show, "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"
The problem: Bryson hadn't given the school permission to share pictures of her daughter on social media.
In November 2018, she sued the school for violating her daughter's privacy by making the recording.
"Upon information and belief, S.W.'s injuries were sustained by the unannounced entrance of an adult-sized Easter Bunny," the complaint says, identifying Bryson's daughter by only her initials. "There was no parent consultation prior to bringing this adult-sized Easter Bunny into the classroom."
Bryson told local NBC affiliate WESH when she filed her lawsuit that the school failed to follow procedure, and her daughter is suffering the consequences.
"I feel my child was in need, and I wasn't there, and when I'm not there, they're there for me in so many words, and I truly do feel like they let me down," she told the station.
The lawsuit alleged negligence on the part of the school, intentional infliction of emotional distress as to both Bryson and her daughter, and invasion of privacy. According to the complaint, Bryson had signed a form denying permission for the school to share pictures of her daughter in most scenarios, including on Facebook, YouTube, and the school's website.
Lawyers for the school had argued that under Florida's "Impact Rule," the school could not be sued because there was no physical impact to the little girl — she was only scared of what she saw.
"Neither the Easter Bunny or the employee physically impacted the child," attorney Kyle Wilhelm said, according to WESH.
Bryson's lawyer agreed that the rule applied and that the toddler's experience with the costumed creature met the legal standard for a lawsuit.
"[T]he startling reaction, her jump from her chair, her knocking into the other chair, does satisfy the impact rule in this case, your honor," Scott Leeds argued to the judge in 2021. "No matter how large or small, any force, visible or invisible, and this is visible, would be satisfactory."
Court records indicate that the matter has been settled. Attorneys for Bryson did not immediately respond to Law&Crime's request for details about the settlement.
