SeaWorld recently told a California federal court that investors in a lawsuit are attempting to mislead the court by objecting to a confidentiality order, saying the theme park company’s confidential documents are protected and have no bearing on the investors’ bid for class certification.
SeaWorld Entertainment stands accused of failing to tell shareholders that the 2013 documentary film “Blackfish” caused an attendance drop at its theme parks and instead stated that a 9 percent drop in attendance in early 2013 to an early Easter, while knowing of claims made in the documentary that SeaWorld caused its whales mental distress, which affected trainer and audience safety, according to the lawsuit.
Investors are specifically seeking access to 18 documents that they say “do not pertain to any trade secret, or otherwise contain any information that could warrant confidential treatment,” despite SeaWorld’s argument that the documents detail its internal policies and strategies, which, if revealed, could give its competitors the upper hand. SeaWorld argued that the confidential materials are appropriately sealed and shielded from disclosure, and that they contain information that could harm the company’s competitive standing.
