2012
Woman accuses Disneyland of religious discrimination, harassment
Discrimination can take many different forms. One type of workplace discrimination sometimes revolves around the expression of religious beliefs and how that expression may conflict with a company’s “brand image.”
For an employer to discriminate against an employee for their religious beliefs is against the law in the United States. This is why a female former employee of Disneyland filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the California resort for refusing to allow her to wear her hijab, or traditional Muslim head scarf for women, in roles visible to the public.
The 24-year-old woman began working for Disneyland in April 2008. Although at the time she was hired and for the two following years she did not wear the hijab the Moroccan-born woman says she was still harassed relentlessly by co-workers about her beliefs and cultural heritage. Despite complaints to Disneyland’s management about the hostile work environment, things did not improve.
In 2010, her conscientiously held religious beliefs led her to decide that she should be wearing the hijab whenever she was in public. Aside from being a religious requirement of female Muslims, it is also a public statement of one’s religious beliefs. Unfortunately, her choice to wear the hijab led to increased harassment and discrimination in the workplace, this time including from Disneyland’s management.
The woman alleges in her lawsuit that Disney’s notoriously strict dress code does not allow Muslim women to wear the hijab unless they agree to work out of sight of the public. She asked for an exemption from the policy, and at first it seemed that an accommodation might be made. There was talk of allowing her to wear a Disney-themed head scarf. Ultimately, however, the corporate office did not grant final approval.
In the meantime, the holy days of Ramadan were approaching and the employee decided to wear her hijab in observance of Ramadan. She was then given three choices by management:
- To remove the hijab
- To cover the hijab with a hat
- To work out of the public’s view
She refused, and has not been scheduled to work since.
The young woman says that she has filed this employment discrimination lawsuit in the hopes of setting a precedent, not only for Disney employees, but also for all female Muslim employees throughout California. She hopes to make it clear that Disney’s refusal to tolerate her religious beliefs because they don’t fit the company’s preferred image is discriminatory and will not be tolerated in the workplace.
Source: Los Angeles Times, “Woman’s lawsuit accuses Disneyland of bias,” Kate Mather, Aug. 14, 2012
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