A viral video of a Black father being asked to show ID at a Chicago-area apartment pool has sparked heated debate online and the property’s management company now disputes his account.
Leo Sullivan, an Atlanta-based filmmaker and author, says he and his two sons were the only Black family at the pool when two women demanded he prove they belonged there.
He says he had already shown evidence that the family was staying at the complex through an Airbnb. His youngest son can be heard crying in the video as he worries his father will go to jail.
The management company, Arden Living, says its security footage tells a different story.
What Exactly Happened?
Sullivan was visiting Chicago with his sons when he recorded the encounter, which spread quickly on Facebook, TikTok and X.
He says one of the women was already speaking to police on the phone before he started recording. In the video, he questions, “Like who brings ID to a swimming pool?” He also points out other people at the pool, including a man swimming and a child sitting off to the side.
He asks the two women, “There’s a kid over there; does he need his ID?”
His Son’s Reaction
Sullivan’s 9-year-old son is heard crying and asking his father to show his ID. The boy appears afraid his dad will be taken to jail once police arrive. Sullivan can be heard comforting him.
He says officers arrived later and that he told them he had no legal obligation to show identification. Per Sullivan, police were called a second time after he asked the women for their names. He says he then got into the pool and played with his sons anyway.
Arden Living rejected the claims of racial profiling in a statement. The company says staff were enforcing pool rules that apply to every tenant and guest.
It says it told Sullivan before his stay that he would need to pick up a pool pass at the front desk. The company also says its CCTV footage shows Sullivan and four other unrelated people at the pool were all asked to show an ID or a pool pass.
Arden Living further claims Sullivan never checked in at the front desk, never obtained a pass and wrongly identified himself as a tenant. According to the company, that left staff with no way to confirm he was a guest.
The statement also called the social media claims misinformation and said its employees had been doxed. Outlets covering the story reported finding no police statement about the incident.
How Viewers Reacted
Many viewers urged Sullivan to pursue legal action, while others criticized the woman for involving police.
One commenter wrote, “It hurt my heart to see that little boy cry.” Another argued that the property owners should sue Sullivan for wrongly describing the incident as racism. A third praised Sullivan for how he handled the situation and encouraged him to file a report.
Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt also shared the video on X, calling it an example of “swimming while Black.”
What Families Should Know
With two conflicting accounts and no independent confirmation, the full picture remains unclear.
The dispute also offers a practical lesson for families staying at short-term rentals: confirm pool rules and any required passes before arriving.
