A lawsuit filed on behalf of a former Disney cast member claims that he was fired from his place of employment at Disney’s Shades of Green Resort after refusing to cut his dreadlocks. Courtney Joseph, a Rastafarian cook at the resort, contends he worked for nearly a year without issue until February of 2013, when he was told he would have to cut his dreadlocks following an inspection of the resort’s kitchen. The decision stemmed from a lack of adherence to Disney’s “appearance policy.”
In the lawsuit, Joseph, technically employed by HospitalityStaff, argues that he was not given the opportunity for employment elsewhere on property. HospitalityStaff refutes that claim and suggests he was given a “choice between cutting his hair or shifting to a different job site with the same pay and work schedule.” According to HospitalityStaff, Joseph refused both options, citing religious grounds for not cutting his dreadlocks, and was fired.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, the lawsuit, filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), “aims to force HospitalityStaff to give Joseph his job back and provide him with lost pay and compensatory and punitive damages. It is also seeking a court injunction barring HospitalityStaff from discriminatory employment practices.”
News source: Orlando Sentinel
