Three fired Walt Disney World workers are suing the theme park, claiming that their policies around masking and COVID-19 vaccination amounted to religious discrimination.
In a lawsuit filed on June 30, Barbara Andreas, Stephen Cribb, and Adam Pajer claimed that their religious beliefs were not respected when the company required non-vaccinated employees to mask up.
They were allowed to return to work following the end of blanket facemasking protocols at the park and not required to receive the vaccine. Disney mandated vaccines for its non-union employees but was forced to walk back that move following the passage of a law that made such mandates illegal in the state of Florida. They were all fired for refusing to follow additional requirements for unvaccinated employees between March and June of this year.
The three employees had all worked for the theme park for more than five years. While some claimed that the masking protocol was against their religion, others claimed that they were singled out and demeaned by the requirement to wear a face mask. Andreas sought a religious exemption and was denied by park management.
“Religious creed includes my dress and my grooming practices, including what I put on my head or face. Wearing a face covering is an affront of my Christian beliefs. Further, participating in a medical experiment, such as covid testing or vaccines, is also a violation of my religious beliefs,” Andreas claimed in the suit.
Pajer claimed that management “treated him as if he were leprous” after he refused to wear a mask.
“Managers are starting to discriminate against people who didn’t take the experimental propaganda procedures,” Pajer wrote in a group chat with other employees this February. “I told them it was discriminatory and I will at this time not be complying and asked for them to call HR.”
The lawsuit falls under a Florida law on retaliation for whistleblowing, claiming that they were all terminated after reporting the company to state authorities for violation of laws around COVID-19 and vaccination. They are seeking an unspecified amount in damages over their lost wages and attorney fees.