News Turban Causes Flap At Disney; Lawsuit Pending

[tjcjr]

The Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDEF), the oldest and largest Sikh-American civil rights and advocacy organization in the US has filed a class action suit against the Walt Disney World Company on behalf of Sukhbir Singh Channa.
Channa, a Sikh-American, had applied for a job with Disney in September 2006 but was told that he could not be hired unless he removed his religiously-mandated turban. He was also told that he did not have "the Disney look". Witnesses have filed affidavits in his support. "There's no legal or other justification for a company to repudiate an employee in the manner that Disney has repudiated Channa," said SALDEF chairman Manjit Singh.
"Disney makes millions of dollars each year on cartoon characters that wear turbans but cannot respect the right of an American to wear a turban for religious reasons," said Manjit Singh.
An official press conference announcing the lawsuit against Disney is scheduled on June 16, Florida Miami.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/I...ow/3124858.cms

[MJMcB]

Re: Turban Causes Flap At Disney; Lawsuit Pending

Dumb, Disney, dumb

[kcnole]

Re: Turban Causes Flap At Disney; Lawsuit Pending

how is it dumb? Disney has all kinds of requirements on how you dress. Men are not allowed to have beards, you can't have long hair, etc... How strange would it seem to see a man in a turban as a castmember in frontierland.

[DisneyIPresume]

Re: Turban Causes Flap At Disney; Lawsuit Pending

I saw a guest wearing a turban at DCA on Monday when I went on the TSMM preview.

But that's not a CM. What I have seen at Knott's are a couple of female employees -- obviously Muslim because they were wearing scarves on their heads in addition to their costume. And the other employees were not wearing scarves.

I wonder if maybe these employees are at Knotts because Disney didn't hire them because obviously they wanted to wear the scarves?

[halltd]

Re: Turban Causes Flap At Disney; Lawsuit Pending

No kidding - this isn't dumb. Disney isn't discriminating here. They require EVERY cast member to look the same. So, they're not singling out this one person. It's the same thing that Abercrombie does during their hiring process.

[PEZZ Lightyear]

Re: Turban Causes Flap At Disney; Lawsuit Pending

I imagine the Sikh beard would be more of an issue...

[VMKCardCollector]

Re: Turban Causes Flap At Disney; Lawsuit Pending

Since when did disney characters wear turbans? Ive never seen this before.....

But's there's always been stuff like that. Like you have to have a certain type of nails (french something), cant have beards, cant have hair past your shoulders, etc.

[sir clinksalot]

Re: Turban Causes Flap At Disney; Lawsuit Pending

I dunno ... I know Walt wanted all of his CM's to look the same, but to be honest, alot of the requirements have been relaxed in the past few years. (Sunglasses, earrings, etc).

As far as "Somebody with a Turban wouldn't look right in Frontierland" well, there are PLENTY of other places you could put this person that just might fit the theme. Animal Kingdom perhaps?

Again, I know Walt had his standards, but times have most certainly changed. I agree with Disney's "Standards" for CM's, but not when it comes to something like this. Exceptions should be made for religious beliefs.

[sediment]

Re: Turban Causes Flap At Disney; Lawsuit Pending

He would have been perfect for the Indy Stunt Show.

I sure hope they thought this through before simply dismissing the idea. Nowhere in DAK, for example?
EPCOT's new Iraq Pavilion?

[TikiRoomLiz]

Re: Turban Causes Flap At Disney; Lawsuit Pending

I feel that even though this man's attire is for religious reasons, it is fully (and clearly), detailed in the application to Disney that there is a certain look they will have to adhere to if they get hired. Starting a lawsuit for an issue like this seems rather silly to me.

[Morrigoon]

Re: Turban Causes Flap At Disney; Lawsuit Pending

Disney probably could have gotten past the turban thing in a backstage role, but the hair thing is a real problem. His religion requires him to keep it, and Disney's rules do not allow it.

At some point, you make a choice. Sometimes the choices you make do not allow you to do things you want, like working for Disney. They're not telling him he can't work there because of his skin color or even technically because of his religion, but because his religious practices do not allow him to comply with The Disney Look. It'd be like having someone insist on wearing a burqua while working in a strip club - some jobs just aren't going to work with your religious directives.

And if they loosen the rules for him, then they're giving preferential treatment unless they loosen them for everyone.

[flynnibus]

Re: Turban Causes Flap At Disney; Lawsuit Pending

If you make personal choices in your life that conflict with your professional life - where did this conflict begin?? Oh yeah.. PERSONAL CHOICES

You can look and dress anyway you want when its just you - just don't expect random person XYZ to like or accept it.

Disney's standards have long been challenged - I doubt this attempt will get any further.

When you goto a job - you are going to do someone else's work - you gotta play by their rules. Want to make your own rules? Work for yourself!

[kirbilicious]

Re: Turban Causes Flap At Disney; Lawsuit Pending

This is interesting. It's something I never really thought about before. I'm just surprised there haven't been more complaints like this regarding turbans.

[Morrigoon]

Re: Turban Causes Flap At Disney; Lawsuit Pending

Because most people see the rules, understand that their personal beliefs do not allow them to abide by them, and find something else.

Again, the turban (or in case of Muslim women, perhaps a headscarf) thing probably wouldn't be too much of an issue if they were willing to take a backstage role where a company-issued "standard" wouldn't interrupt the show onstage. But I'm not sure Disney can get past the specific grooming rules (hair - facial and otherwise) that he has to comply with.

[tjcjr]

Re: Turban Causes Flap At Disney; Lawsuit Pending

Since when did disney characters wear turbans? Ive never seen this before.....

But's there's always been stuff like that. Like you have to have a certain type of nails (french something), cant have beards, cant have hair past your shoulders, etc.

responding to the above, some characters in Aladdin wore turbans

... and as far as the issue goes, it's called a dress code. It's basically a company rule and companies impose them all the time. Some employers require specific uniforms or styles.
If you cannot abide by the rules for whatever the reason, be it personal or otherwise, you simply can't work there. And Disney spells all this out quite specifically during the pre-hiring, screening process.

One job I held for a few years required that we always wore a 'boat skippers' hat as part of the uniform. That's just what it was. And there is no way you could have gotten that hat to fit over or on a turban so that job would not have been appropriate for the person in question either.

[geoffa]

Re: Turban Causes Flap At Disney; Lawsuit Pending

Translate this to the incident at British Airways where a member of staff was told she could not wear a crucifix on a chain. They eventually lost their case!

I can totally understand a turban wearer not looking the part in Frontierland but surely Disney could have found him some job elsewhere - anything to do with Aladdin maybe? (of course that then could be seen a stereotyping!)

[Hakuna Makarla]

Re: Turban Causes Flap At Disney; Lawsuit Pending

Disney probably could have gotten past the turban thing in a backstage role, but the hair thing is a real problem. His religion requires him to keep it, and Disney's rules do not allow it.

At some point, you make a choice. Sometimes the choices you make do not allow you to do things you want, like working for Disney. They're not telling him he can't work there because of his skin color or even technically because of his religion, but because his religious practices do not allow him to comply with The Disney Look. It'd be like having someone insist on wearing a burqua while working in a strip club - some jobs just aren't going to work with your religious directives.

And if they loosen the rules for him, then they're giving preferential treatment unless they loosen them for everyone.

:bow: well said......... !!

[geoffa]

Re: Turban Causes Flap At Disney; Lawsuit Pending

responding to the above, some characters in Aladdin wore turbans

... and as far as the issue goes, it's called a dress code. It's basically a company rule and companies impose them all the time. Some employers require specific uniforms or styles.........
the pre-hiring, screening process.

That might be the case in the U S. However, in other countries different rules apply. Here in Europe the Race Relations Act has a great say in what people wear for work. Discrimination is NOT permitted. Uniforms have to be adapted to take on board others' religions. For example, London Underground provides scarves for Muslim females and allows turbans for sheiks etc. Disney would need to apply for exemption on artistic grounds under the act and one assumes this is the case at Disneyland Resort Paris - unless someone knows different.

[flynnibus]

Re: Turban Causes Flap At Disney; Lawsuit Pending

Translate this to the incident at British Airways where a member of staff was told she could not wear a crucifix on a chain. They eventually lost their case!

That's easy - do you have a rule about wearing jewelry and limits on how it's worn? You can take religion right out of that comparison and apply rules universally.

I can totally understand a turban wearer not looking the part in Frontierland but surely Disney could have found him some job elsewhere - anything to do with Aladdin maybe? (of course that then could be seen a stereotyping!)

Disney doesn't owe anyone a job.

They had openings - if he doesn't fit for those roles its not their job to find him an alternative. He should be applying for roles he believes he fits. It's not the employer's job to find 'something'. The roles are completely the other way.

[Mnemorath]

Re: Turban Causes Flap At Disney; Lawsuit Pending

As we say in the Navy: Its called a UNIFORM for a reason.


I don't think it will get very far. A dress code is a dress code and if it is written in black and white on papers he signed...well thats that.