Gatlinburg — A popular East Tennessee tourist attraction that temporarily deleted its Facebook page after receiving hundreds of comments regarding a Louisiana mother’s claims that her daughter with autism was not allowed on a tour has reactivated its page and issued a statement.
Melissa Beebe said her family was on vacation in Sevier County when they visited Forbidden Caverns in Sevierville on July 31.
Beebe’s Facebook post has garnered more than 18,000 shares and 4,000 comments since she wrote that she and her daughter received a refund after she says a tour guide asked them to leave because her daughter was being too loud.
Beebe wrote, “I was asked to leave as soon as the tour started because Stella was excited, laughing and clapping .The tour guide asked me in front of about 30 people if he could ask me a question and I knew what he was about to ask, so I just answered 'She’s autistic and just excited.' He then told me we can leave and go get a refund for the tour. He kicked us off the tour before it even started because my kid WAS LAUGHING AND CLAPPING !!!! “
Beebe went on to write that she and her daughter started crying. “I’ve never experienced blatant discrimination or been kicked out of anywhere,” Beebe wrote.
Forbidden Caverns responds
Beebe’s post sparked a firestorm of outrage on social media as people began writing comments on the attraction’s social media pages, but Forbidden Cavern owner Bob Hounshell claims the post is inaccurate and the social media backlash has overwhelmed the family-run business.
“That is not who we are. That is not what we practice,” Hounshell said about claims the post made that the attraction has a policy against children with special needs. “ Everybody is welcome.”
Hounshell said safety is their top priority when taking people through the dark cave, and often times children of all ages can become frightened or overwhelmed by the experience. Hounshell said he was not aware of any issues until the Facebook post picked up traction online.
The attraction temporarily shut down its Facebook page after the post. Hounshell says he’s been busy throughout the evening and morning returning phone calls from people who’ve left voicemails regarding the post.
Around 3 p.m. Wednesday, Forbidden Caverns reactivated its page and posted the following statement:
"Forbidden Caverns first opened its doors to visitors in 1967 and since then we have taken over two million visitors on an underground adventure to see nature’s handiwork at its best.
The enjoyment and safety of our visitors is always a our first priority. Keeping with this policy, it is paramount that before each journey underground we conduct a safety lesson by a trained guide for the group. During this talk it is important that everyone be able to understand all instructions and be able to complete the tour, and if any guest feels that they cannot comply with the instructions or feel uncomfortable they may get a full refund. This is rare, but we want to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all our guests.
It is also our policy that we will make every effort to accommodate our guests with special needs as we have taken thousands of guests with varying abilities and disabilities into the cave so they can have the best experience. Forbidden Caverns does not and will not tolerate discrimination of any means.
It has come to our knowledge that we were accused of not allowing children with special needs to enter the cave, this could be further from the truth, as every year we escort thousands of children from schools across the region many of whom have special needs. We are a family attraction and take accusations of this nature to heart and truly want to be an experience that all can enjoy.
Sincerely,
The Management Team"
As of Wednesday’s afternoon, Beebe’s mother told WBIR that they are unable to interview before our deadline due to the emotional nature of the situation and trying to making the long drive back to Louisiana.
Hounshell says they’ll be looking at ways in the future to prevent a similar situation from occurring.
Forbidden Caverns is getting a lot of support on WBIR's Facebook post about the story, with several people saying they've visited with children with special needs, and had a wonderful experience.
Other tourist attractions in the area have added special features to enhance the experience for guests with special needs. Dollywood opened a ‘calming room,’ where guests who experience sensory overload at the park can sit in a quiet relaxed environment until they feel comfortable.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.