Muslim ex-employee sues Disney over

harassment and Religion discrimination

By : Oktavika A.M
(125030207121004)

Profile Disneyland Resort

The Disneyland Resort, commonly known as Disneyland, is an
entertainment resort in Anaheim, California. It is owned and
operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks and
Resorts division and is home to two theme parks, three hotels,
and a shopping, dining, and entertainment complex known as
Downtown Disney.

Muslim ex-employee sues Disney over

harassment, and Religion discrimination

Ross Frasier Press TV , 2012/08/14

Los Angeles - A former Muslim employee of the Walt Disney has filed a lawsuit against the giant
entertainment company for harassment of its employees and religious discrimination, Press TV
reports. Imane Budlal, the 26-year-old former employee of Walt Disney, says that she had been
subjected to discrimination by the company on the ground of her Islamic beliefs. The American
Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit on behalf of the young Moroccan Muslim female. The
harassment and discrimination in this case is unprecedented, said Attorney Anne Richardson.
"Richardson noted that the Moroccan, who is also an American citizen, was subjected to years of
ethnic insults because of her religious beliefs, adding that she suffered from two years of
comments being called, camel, being called a terrorist, and being accused of making bombs."
Disney authorities claim that Budlals hijab (Muslim womens wear) did not comply with the
companys strict dress code. "The female employee even offered to wear a scarf in colors
matching her uniform or bearing a Disney logo, but the firm's authorities denied the offer and
asked her instead to work in the back area out of the sight of customers." The company fired her
after she refused to wear a large hat on top of her scarf. Attorney Reem Salahi told Press TV that
the Disney Land authorities' request for her wearing a hat was meant to hide her religious
identity, and so was a kind of mockery of her religion. The Disney authorities, however, have
released a statement, claiming that the Walt Disney parks and resorts have a long history of
accommodating a variety of religious requests from cast members of all faiths. Despite the
companys efforts to portray a tolerating image of itself, Attorney Richardson says that the case
shows that the firm practices discrimination. Walt Disney now faces multiple charges, including
failure to prevent discrimination and harassment and wrongful termination in violation of public
policy.

Identification of
problems
Imane Boudlal
"Disneyland calls itself the happiest place on earth, but I faced harassment
as soon as I started working there," Boudlal said in a statement."It only
got worse when I decided to wear a hijab. My journey towards wearing it
couldn't have been more American; it began at my naturalization
ceremony I realized that I had the freedom to be who I want and freely
practice my religion. Neither Disney nor anyone else can take that from
me.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

"Walt Disney Parks and Resorts has a history of accommodating religious
requests from cast members of all faiths," the company said in a
statement. "We presented Ms Boudlal with multiple options to
accommodate her religious beliefs, as well as offered her several roles
that would have allowed her to wear her own hijab. Unfortunately, she
rejected all of our efforts and has since refused to come to work."

The Concept of Equal

Opportunity and the Law
1. Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act
was one of the first of these 1960s-era laws. As amended
by the 1972 Equal Employment Opportunity Act, Title VII
states that an employer cannot discriminate based on
race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
2. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
(EEOC)
Title VII established the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC) to administer and enforce the Civil
Rights law at work. The EEOC may file discrimination
charges on behalf of aggrieved individuals, or the
individuals may file on behalf of themselves.

The concept of
harassment
Harassment is a form of employment
discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in
Employment Act of 1967, Age Discrimination in
Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), and the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990,
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Harassment is unwelcome conduct that is
based on race, color, religion, sex (including
pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older),
disability or genetic information.

The concept of
discrimination

Mathis and Jackson book, The word discrimination simply means

recognizing differences among items or people. However, when
discrimination is based on race, gender, or some other factors, it is
illegal and employers face problems. The following bases for protection
have been identified by various federal, state, and/or local laws:
Race, ethnic origin, color (including multiracial/ethnic backgrounds)
Sex/gender (including pregnant women and also men in certain
situations)
Age (individuals over age 40)
Individuals with disabilities (physical or mental)
Military experience (military status employees and Vietnam-era
veterans)
Religion (special beliefs and practices)
Marital status (some states)
Sexual orientation (some states and cities)

Solution discrimination and

harassment
1. Leadership Commitment
2. Strong Policies and Procedures
3. No Retaliation
4. Training

Implementation Strategies of Non

Harassment
and
Religion
Descrimination
Managing Religious Diversity
Managing Religious Diversity in
Workplaces