Plantation Bay Shareholder in Viral Exchange Resigns

Plantation Bay shareholder Manny Gonzalez resigned on Tuesday after his handling of a complaint from a guest whose child had special needs went viral and drew criticism on social media.

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"To protect our staff from further indignities, and with sincere apologies for my error of judgment which led to so much trouble to many innocent people, I have decided to resign from the position of Resident Shareholder," Gonzalez said in a statement.

The resort is assessing protocols and vowed to implement necessary changes within the week.

Gonzalez had earlier apologized for the incident.

The complainant, a mother, posted on Tripadvisor that her child with autism was "squealing with delight" at the pool and she were told by a lifeguard to hush the kid down.

"It’s a discriminating experience. We often get this a lot. When normal people who are ignorant of people with special needs, give us that stare of please control your child," the guest said.

Gonzalez said in the apology: "I was wrong to question the mother's motives and deeply regret leaving the impression that we are not supportive of the community of parents with children who have special needs."

Keeping noise down at the pool area is "geared towards safety and relaxation for all guests," he said, adding, "We try to apply this policy even-handedly."