Nearly a year and a half after a showdown over a simple wooden stool turned a Greenville movie outing into a national story, Rev. William Barber II and AMC Theatres have quietly closed the book on their federal courtroom fight. Court records show the disability-access lawsuit was dismissed on May 5, with each side agreeing to cover its own legal bills, and Barber is now heading back to the same theater for a private screening where his stool will be allowed inside, his attorney said.
Case Quietly Dropped Before Return to the Big Screen
The lawsuit’s end came without fanfare. A federal filing shows the case was dismissed on May 5 “with each party to bear its own fees and expenses,” according to WITN. The dismissal was noted in a news release that went out just ahead of a private screening of the Michael Jackson biopic at AMC Fire Tower 12 in Greenville, where Barber will host guests this Sunday afternoon.
According to ABC11, the theater has agreed that Barber can bring his chair inside for the private showing, a small but pointed detail that underscores what the lawsuit was about in the first place.
Flashback to 2023: A Stool, A Movie, And A Confrontation
The dispute began on Dec. 26, 2023, when Barber went to see The Color Purple with his 90-year-old mother. He says staff at the Greenville theater confronted him over the specialized stool he uses to manage pain and demanded proof of his disability before allowing him to sit, according to AP News.
Video of the exchange quickly spread across the country, putting AMC under an unwelcome spotlight. The company apologized afterward, saying it welcomes and works to accommodate guests with disabilities, AP News reported. Barber responded by filing a federal lawsuit accusing the chain of violating the Americans With Disabilities Act.
How The Lawsuit Played Out
The case did not fade away quietly. In October 2025, a federal judge rejected AMC’s attempt to get the lawsuit tossed, allowing Barber’s ADA claims to move ahead, according to WCCB. Barber was represented by national civil-rights attorney Harry Daniels as the case moved through the federal system.
As the parties prepared for Barber’s return to the theater, he tried to shift attention away from the personal dispute and toward the broader issue. “This private viewing isn’t about me or that night in December 2023. It’s about standing in solidarity with those individuals,” Barber said in a news release announcing the event, WITN reported. The screening is set for 3 p.m. Sunday, and Barber has invited several people with disabilities to attend.
Why Advocates Are Still Watching
Disability advocates say the incident exposed how gaps in staff training and venue policies can turn ordinary accessibility needs into public confrontations. According to ABC11, the theater’s agreement to let Barber bring his chair into the private showing and the May 5 dismissal appear to end the public legal fight for now.
AMC had already apologized and said it was reviewing its policies after the December 2023 encounter, AP News reported. With the court case now dropped, Barber is using his return to the Greenville theater to spotlight accessibility in public spaces, even as the formal dispute with AMC exits the stage.
