A Disneyland Resort hotel employee is accusing Disney of discriminating against her because it won’t let her wear a Muslim head scarf at work in public.How long until the ACLU takes up her case? ...3...2...1...
Imane Boudlal, a restaurant hostess at the Storytellers’ Cafe in the Grand Californian Hotel in Downtown Disney, said she was sent home without pay three times when she attempted to report to work wearing a hijab since Aug. 15.
But Suzi Brown, a Disneyland Resort spokeswoman, said Boudlal was offered a behind-the-scenes assignment at the restaurant until her employer could figure out a solution. Brown denied that the company discriminated against Boudlal.
Today, Boudlal will attempt to wear a head scarf, called hijab, to her hostess job for a fourth time. Supporters will join her this afternoon after a press conference as she heads to work.
In the press conference, Boudlal said she believes she was discriminated against because she looks Muslim. Boudlal said she sent a letter to Disney, requesting that she be able to wear a head scarf. After they kept delaying a response, she decided to report to work with it.
“I’m not here to scare anyone,” she said. “I’m here to do my job.”
Boudlal, in a prepared statement before the press conference, said: “The Constitution tells me I can be Muslim, and I can wear the head scarf. Who is Disney to tell me I cannot?”
Today, she walked into work with her scarf on. Disney said she could only work in the back out of public view. She refused and left.
She'll lose this one. Nothing in the Constitution guarantees you the right to violate an employer's uniform standards, and as a former member of the Disney cast myself, I can tell you they're pretty picky about what you wear. Every article of clothing a Disney cast member wears is provided by the Costume Department at the park, with the exception of shoes and underwear.
If she wants to wear Muslim dress she needs to try out for Princess Jasmine.
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5 comments:
Send them all to Saudi Arabia!
So, The Constitution says she can wear a hijab to work, but it also says Glenn Beck cannot pray at The Kennedy Center. Hmm... Ladies & gents, The Pilot has turned on the fasten seatbelt sign. We no longer live in reality.
Um... was she wearing a hijab when they hired her? And if she wasn't, it should be her tough luck. No fair getting hired and then asking for rule changes.
That being said, why can't the Disney people provide a matching hijab as part of the uniform? $5 worth of cloth; save yourself a lawsuit and earn some good will.
PS I meant the hijab to be optional. LOL um.. that should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway. :)
I'm sick and tired of these people wanting to wear the hijab when it is against the rules of dress at the employers place of business. If this is so almighty important to them then they ought to consider moving to a Muslim country where the hijab is acceptable. American has been here over 200 years without this type of garb and we don't need it now!!!!!
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