Tampa, Florida As a result of their failure to comply with the masking and vaccination requirements for COVID-19, three former Disney employees are suing the company. The three plaintiffs, who are residents of Florida, claim that Disney’s requirements and termination of their employment violated their right to exercise their religion.
In their lawsuit against the Walt Disney Company and Disney Parks, Experience and Products, Inc., the three employees, Barbara Andreas, Stephen J. Cribb, and Adam Pajer, claim that despite the fact that “Disney has brought wonder and magic into the lives and homes of millions,” the company “cast itself as the villain” and “a shadow has come over Disney” as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The plaintiffs’ lawsuit claims that despite their filing of religious exemptions, Disney policies during COVID-19 “targeted cast members who declined COVID-19 vaccinations.” “Taking these injections would violate their deeply held convictions,” the plaintiffs claimed.
A few details about how Disney operated after reopening during the pandemic are included in the lawsuit’s complaint. Disney initially shut down its parks on March 15, 2020, the day the declaration of a national emergency was made.
Four months after closing, according to the plaintiffs, Disney reopened with “safety protocols for COVID-19” in place. For cast members and visitors, these safety measures included the “use of double face masks” and social seclusion. Depending on their “proximity to guests,” some cast members also wore face shields and goggles.
On July 30, 2021, according to the plaintiffs, Disney “announced to its entire U.S. cast a vaccinate or terminate COVID-19 vaccination policy.” As a “condition of continued employment,” employees were given until September 30, 2021, to demonstrate their current vaccination status in full.
The policy initially only applied to non-union members because of ongoing collective bargaining talks. Following negotiations with several staff unions, Disney later changed its stance to demand that all employees be fully immunized, according to the lawsuit filings.
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The company’s policies were updated to “pause the enforcement” for its Florida cast members when Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law banning vaccine requirements on Nov. 18, 2021. The plaintiffs claim that despite their employment histories—all of them worked for Disney for at least seven years—they were fired for refusing to wear masks or receive the full COVID-19 vaccination.
According to the filing by the three plaintiffs, before their terminations, each of them complained about the company to the Florida Attorney General’s Office for breaking state law prohibiting vaccine mandates. They claim that their terminations were motivated by retaliation and are suing for violating Florida’s whistleblower protections.
The plaintiffs stated in the lawsuit file that they are requesting a jury trial and damages for lost wages, employee benefits, and attorney’s fees. On June 29, the lawsuit was initiated.
