A 15-year-old and her family say she was served alcohol during her birthday party at the Sugar Factory in Midtown.
ATLANTA — Multiple families are taking legal action against the Sugar Factory in Midtown Atlanta after a group of children—some as young as elementary school age—were allegedly served alcoholic drinks during a birthday celebration.
A sweet celebration for Corese Carter’s 15th birthday in November quickly turned sour.
The teenager said she became sick after sipping a drink at the Sugar Factory in Midtown Atlanta—one her parents say was mistakenly filled with alcohol.
"I don't really remember anything. Like, I was crying a lot, and then like the next morning, I woke up sick. That's all I really remember," Carter said.
At a press conference held Friday morning outside Jack Guynn Plaza, Attorneys Reginald Greene and Jarrod Mumford stood alongside parents and at least one young victim, stating this is far from an isolated incident.
The 15-year-old's family is now suing the restaurant, claiming the drink was supposed to be non-alcoholic but was mixed up with an adult beverage meant for her father.
"I was shocked because I don't drink, and the way she started acting after the fact, I was like, 'Oh my God, I can't believe this is happening to my child,'" said her mother, Shanterri Grier.
Greene said the drinks—known for their flashy presentations and colorful candy—are easy to mix up, but that doesn’t excuse what happened.
"The drinks come out with colorful candy, colorful drinks..." Greene said.
Greene and Mumford said they’re representing six different families now filing lawsuits against the Sugar Factory Midtown location, all involving allegations of underage children being served alcohol.
"So, we have a number of objectives. One, it's to hold those accountable for what they did wrong. So, it's the server who served the alcohol. It's the management who allowed it to occur. And it's the regulatory agencies that have apparently turned a deaf ear to this terrible situation," Greene said.
The attorneys added they’re hoping to see more than just accountability, including a clear visual difference between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, oversight from state and local regulators and fair compensation.
"In order for them to listen, we need to meet them in their pocketbook sometimes," Mumford said. "We have to seek justice for these children, and attorney Greene and I are here to get justice for these children and all persons who are seeking nonalcoholic drinks."
The Sugar Factory has not publicly responded to the lawsuits as of Friday.
11Alive also reached out to the Fulton County Health Department for a comment on the lawsuits, but have not received a response.