Leo Sullivan, a father visiting Warrenville, Illinois from Atlanta with his family, is speaking out after he says an employee of an apartment complex called police on him and his children while they were at a community pool.
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Sullivan shared the incident on Facebook, explaining that a family day at the pool turned into a stressful and emotional encounter. According to Sullivan, the woman involved was an employee of the apartment complex and questioned whether he and his children were allowed to use the pool.
Sullivan said the situation escalated after he attempted to get the employee’s information so he could report the incident to the company’s corporate office. He said the woman called police a second time during the interaction.
When officers arrived, Sullivan said they ultimately told the woman that he was not required to show her any additional information. However, Sullivan says the encounter had already taken a toll on his family.
The father said one of his sons was left crying after the incident and that the experience was traumatic for his children. Sullivan said he decided to share what happened publicly to raise awareness about how situations like this can impact families.
The incident has sparked discussion online about racial profiling and the treatment of Black families in shared community spaces. Many people who viewed Sullivan’s Facebook post expressed concern over the situation and questioned why police were involved in what began as a dispute at a pool.
It remains unclear whether the apartment complex has launched an internal review or issued a public response regarding the incident.
For Sullivan, he made a aftermath video saying the moment was about more than just a pool visit — he said it was about the impact these encounters can have on children and families and that it was a learning situation.
