"Disney look" lawsuit
Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 4:15 pm
[font="Times New Roman"]Class action civil rights suit filed over "The Disney Look"
Most Disney fans can tell you about "The Disney Look," the list of strict grooming standards that must be adhered to by all cast members who work "on-stage" or in view of park guests. Disney is now facing a civil rights class-action lawsuit over those standards.
Sukhbir Singh Channa, a practicing Sikh, wears a turban and has a beard and long hair in keeping with his religious beliefs. According to the suit, while a student at the University of South Florida, he was hired by Walt Disney World as a seasonal college musician in October 2005, which involves parade and atmospheric performances. While performing onstage in parades, he was in a toy soldier costume, with the soldier hat covering his turban and the soldier head hiding his beard. At first, he was allowed to wear a red turban instead of the standard red beret in atmospheric performances, but he was removed from the atmospheric position due to not complying with "The Disney Look."
Channa was terminated in early 2006 on the grounds of violating the grooming standards, and when he applied for reinstatement as a seasonal musician in October 2006, he was denied on the same basis. The lawsuit, filed by Miami attorney Matt Sarelson in Hillsborough County circuit court on behalf of Channa and the Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDEF), alleges that Disney is violating the Florida Civil Rights Act. The suit seeks damages of at least $1 million and asks that the court prevent Disney from discriminating against Sikh employees and prospective employees.
This is an interesting case, because Disney portrays the positions as "roles in a show," with "on-stage" and "backstage" positions in the performance that is the theme parks and resorts. In an actual theatrical performance, each role has a specified appearance that is required by the writer, director or producer. However, will the courts find that Disney's grooming standards for on-stage cast members comprise a reasonable appearance requirement for a performance role or will they determine that it's a discriminatory guideline for everyday employee positions. There's no doubt that Disney does portray their cast members as all complying with "The Disney Look," but is that enough of a justification for the courts? If they find in favor of Channa, does that mean that Disney can't hold the rest of their cast members to the same standard?
Walt Disney World spokewoman Jacquee Polak told MousePlanet that Disney is still reviewing the situation, and will provide a statement some time today. When we receive the statement, I will post it to my blog with a link from MousePlanet's front page and we will report it both on Thursday's MousePlanetWatch Disney News episode of the MouseStation Podcast and in next Monday's Park Update.[/font]
Most Disney fans can tell you about "The Disney Look," the list of strict grooming standards that must be adhered to by all cast members who work "on-stage" or in view of park guests. Disney is now facing a civil rights class-action lawsuit over those standards.
Sukhbir Singh Channa, a practicing Sikh, wears a turban and has a beard and long hair in keeping with his religious beliefs. According to the suit, while a student at the University of South Florida, he was hired by Walt Disney World as a seasonal college musician in October 2005, which involves parade and atmospheric performances. While performing onstage in parades, he was in a toy soldier costume, with the soldier hat covering his turban and the soldier head hiding his beard. At first, he was allowed to wear a red turban instead of the standard red beret in atmospheric performances, but he was removed from the atmospheric position due to not complying with "The Disney Look."
Channa was terminated in early 2006 on the grounds of violating the grooming standards, and when he applied for reinstatement as a seasonal musician in October 2006, he was denied on the same basis. The lawsuit, filed by Miami attorney Matt Sarelson in Hillsborough County circuit court on behalf of Channa and the Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDEF), alleges that Disney is violating the Florida Civil Rights Act. The suit seeks damages of at least $1 million and asks that the court prevent Disney from discriminating against Sikh employees and prospective employees.
This is an interesting case, because Disney portrays the positions as "roles in a show," with "on-stage" and "backstage" positions in the performance that is the theme parks and resorts. In an actual theatrical performance, each role has a specified appearance that is required by the writer, director or producer. However, will the courts find that Disney's grooming standards for on-stage cast members comprise a reasonable appearance requirement for a performance role or will they determine that it's a discriminatory guideline for everyday employee positions. There's no doubt that Disney does portray their cast members as all complying with "The Disney Look," but is that enough of a justification for the courts? If they find in favor of Channa, does that mean that Disney can't hold the rest of their cast members to the same standard?
Walt Disney World spokewoman Jacquee Polak told MousePlanet that Disney is still reviewing the situation, and will provide a statement some time today. When we receive the statement, I will post it to my blog with a link from MousePlanet's front page and we will report it both on Thursday's MousePlanetWatch Disney News episode of the MouseStation Podcast and in next Monday's Park Update.[/font]
