Imane Boudlal, a Muslim woman who previously worked at The Storyteller’s Cafe at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, says she was not allowed to wear her hijab to work. Allegedly, the company told her it was against policy and that Boudlal would need to remove it, cover it with a hat, or take a job away from the public in order to continue to wear it. She refused.
Boudlal has not worked for Disney since 2010, but sources say she is expected to sue the entertainment giant. Her attorneys say that their client was repeatedly harassed by her co-workers since the beginning of her employment, and that Disney did not do anything to stop the harassment despite both written and oral complaints by Boudlal.
Suzi Brown, a Disney spokeswoman, said:
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts has a long history of accommodating a variety of religious requests from cast members of all faiths. However, because we have not seen the lawsuit, we cannot comment specifically about this situation at this time.
We will be sure to keep you updated when more news about this possible lawsuit becomes available.
