Chicago White Sox sued by advocacy group after fans allege discriminatory ticket sales

CHICAGO - The Chicago White Sox are being sued over alleged discriminatory ticket sales practices.

The lawsuit was filed Wednesday by Access Living on behalf of two area residents, including one who lives in Park Ridge. Access Living is an advocacy group that offers services and support to individuals living with disabilities.

The lawsuit claims the White Sox don't offer the same season ticket opportunities for guests needing Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) seating. It alleges that many of the ballpark's ADA seats aren't available to purchase as season tickets online, sometimes leaving fans with more expensive options or in an undesirable location.

The complaint also states that similar practices are followed for single-game tickets with the plaintiffs and their lawyer calling it discriminatory.

"They do have in the stadium, a lot of accessible seating," said Charles Petrof, senior attorney for Access Living. "But that's not what this is about. This is about them actually selling the seating.

"Starting back in November of last year, I really attempted to buy season tickets for my second year and what happened is they had blacked out all season tickets for wheelchairs online," said Ralph Yaniz, a plaintiff in the lawsuit. "So I had an email conversation with them at that time, and basically they said no they weren't going to put them online."

The plaintiffs aren't asking for monetary damages, rather for the White Sox to remedy the situation.  

In response, a White Sox spokesperson said, in part, "we are disappointed by this lawsuit as the White Sox always hope to accommodate the needs of all our fans at the ballpark."

Their statement went on to say that the organization complies with all legal requirements when it comes to providing accessible seating for guests.