Orlando, FL – The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the oldest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, in collaboration with Matthew Sarelson of Sarelson, P.A., has filed a class action religious discrimination lawsuit against Walt Disney World Company on behalf of Mr. Sukhbir Channa and the Sikh American community.
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Mr. Channa, a practitioner of the Sikh religion, applied for a job with Disney in the Fall of 2006 but was not hired and was allegedly told that he did not have “the Disney look” — a negative reference to his religiously-mandated dastaar (Sikh turban). Witnesses have filed affidavits in his support. The lawsuit seeks financial damages of $ 1 million and a court order barring Disney from ever discriminating against prospective Sikh employees
“Disney’s position is fundamentally un-American because it forces Sikhs and also observant Jews and Muslims to sacrifice religious freedom in order to pursue their career goals,” said SALDEF Chairman Manjit Singh. “It is also hypocritical for Disney to make millions of dollars promoting cartoon characters that wear turbans and simultaneously reject the right of an employee to wear a turban in accordance with his faith.
I’m sure they’re not letting yarmulkes and payos either.
anon 9:34 – not only are you a racist, but a coward as well – you won’t even put your name down! why are you so worried about the RCMP – the symbol of Canada – a blatant and overtly anti-semitic country – I should know I was born there and lived there for many years.
But, above all, the most frightening thing you wrote was, “they should stay in their own country”. this is what was said to us 60 years ago. You should be ashamed of yourself!
Another unlawful lawsuit here! If you cannot do a job due to your religious nature there is NO REASON to apply for it. As a frum yid, since I cannot work on Shabbos, there is no reason for me to apply for a job that would require me to work on Shabbos. If I do and I get the job, I should have no legal recourse to sue for religous bias.
Here too, if he wont remove his turban, he should not apply to play Mickey Mouse or any other character. Get a job someplace else.
HE WORKED FOR DISNEY… HE SUDDENLY WASN’T REHIRED.. REHIRED FOR THE SAME JOB BECAUSE SUDDENLY HIS TURBAN BECAME A PROBLEM. IF YOU WORKED WITH A KEPAH AND THEN THEN NEXT YEAR THEY SAID YOU COULDN’T HAVE IT… ISN’T THAT OBVIOUS DISCRIMINATION????