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Emagine Theatre In Birmingham Revises Policy On Unaccompanied Teens To Include Parent Permission Slip

BIRMINGHAM (WWJ/AP) - A suburban Detroit movie theater has changed its policy on unaccompanied teens just in time for the release of holiday blockbusters.

Emagine Entertainment announced Thursday that it will allow unaccompanied teens inside its Palladium theater in Birmingham if their parents sign a code of conduct accepting responsibility for their child's behavior while inside the venue. The theater previously barred minors unless they were accompanied by an adult or had a membership that costs $350 annually.

"Management's intentions were misconstrued and certain individuals wrongly suggested that Emagine's policy constituted discrimination," the company said in a statement. "Emagine's leadership has, in an effort to address the concerns expressed by its critics, altered its policy to reinforce its commitment to welcoming guests of all ages."

The American Civil Liberties Union, which spoke out against the teen ban, told the Detroit Free Press that the policy change "a significant step in the right direction." They previously claimed that Emagine's discrimination against teens was illegal, saying that teens "should be able to watch a film without being targeted because of their age or banned because their families may not be able to afford a pricey annual membership."

The new code-of-conduct agreement is available online and at the theater. It allows the theater to expel teens who don't follow the rules without a refund.

"All we have ever sought to do is to operate the venue in a genteel and civilized fashion free of misbehavior and untoward disturbances perpetrated on innocent guests," Emagine CEO Paul Glantz said in a statement. "Our new policy gives us confidence that we'll achieve that goal by requiring that a non-member teen's parent accept responsibility for his/her child's behavior in our venue."

Parents can sign the paperwork in person or download the agreement and send it along with their teen to the theatre. Click here for the form (.pdf format)

TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

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