Judge limits former ‘911’ cast member’s vaccine waiver lawsuit against Disney

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by Rockmond Dunbar, the original actor. 911is accusing Disney and 20th Television of religious and racial discrimination after she was fired from the hit drama series after her COVID-19 vaccine waiver application was denied. According to the order issued on Monday, which rejects all three complaints, Dunbar did not provide sufficient evidence that Disney’s vaccination policy discriminates against certain religious groups.

Disney and Fox were among the studios that most demanded vaccines for actors, as well as staff members who are very close to them. This request led to numerous lawsuits from actors and staff who protested the studios’ refusal to release them.

Dunbar, who was fired for refusing the vaccine, sued Disney in February in a 55-page lawsuit that declassified discussions between the studio trying to safely continue production and the actors who requested a waiver. He alleged racial profiling, noting that his former employers refused to provide him with accommodations related to vaccines given to non-black actors that would allow them to keep their jobs, as well as allegations of religious discrimination and retaliation.

In September 2021, Dunbar claimed a religious exemption as a member of the Church of Universal Wisdom and a medical exemption based on an unspecified disability, according to the complaint. Disney is believed to have been skeptical of her request for a religious exemption, believing the actress only applied because she felt it was a better opportunity than a medical exemption, which she denied after her doctor was interviewed by a doctor. affiliated with Disney. . Dunbar, who had more than $1.3 million under his contract, was fired after two months.

Among the 13 claims that Dunbar claimed in his complaint was a violation of the federal law of civil rights, alleging that Disney’s mandatory vaccination policy “had an impact on Mr. Dunbar, forcing him to abandon a religious obligation or to refuse to work”.

However, US District Judge Golly Jim dismissed the claim because the actor did not name other members of the Church of Universal Wisdom who were harmed by the vaccine’s mandate. “While a plaintiff is not required to present general statistical evidence at the pleadings stage, he must plead specific facts from which it can reasonably be inferred that the employment practice has a widespread effect on a particular group and not just on one person.” Said the order.

In a motion against dismissing the lawsuit, Dunbar asked the court to take note of two other lawsuits against Disney alleging religious discrimination to show that he is not the only victim. The judge declined to hear the charges in the other cases. Even if they were, Jim found that they don’t help in the Dunbar case because the plaintiffs in these lawsuits are not members of the Church of Universal Wisdom.

“Courts generally treat disparate impact claims as those that affect a particular group or belief, including subgroups formed within, but not all those who share a common belief,” he wrote. “While the court recognizes that Dunbar is at an informational disadvantage due to the confidential nature of the vaccine distribution process, he must still present facts that would allow the court to conclude that other members of his protected group are also affected by the vaccine. .” “

Dunbar also filed lawsuits alleging that Disney sabotaged the movie it was developing. EducationLeaking information about your release demands. He claimed that the project’s investors demanded $500,000 in funding and several actors refused to participate in the film due to the bad publicity associated with their vaccination status.

But Gee wasn’t sure Disney knew the project existed. He rejected Dunbar’s argument that the studio learned about it from “Breakdown Services”, a website for currently airing television series and films. “Speculation that because the information about the project was publicly available on the Internet, the defendants actually saw that the information does not allow the court to make a reasonable inference of knowledge,” he wrote.

He allowed Jim Dunbar to amend the claim to include allegations involving executive producers and writers. 911 he had copies of the film’s script and that an actor from the show was considering the lead role. Disney has yet to face Dunbar’s 10 allegations of religious and racial discrimination, retaliation and breach of contract, among other allegations. The plaintiff seeks compensatory damages, past and future damages, and punitive damages.

Dunbar claims he was blacklisted for refusing to be vaccinated as a result of leaks of religious and medical information about him. In response to “availability checks” for his services, Dunbar says polls routinely say he is put on a “do not hire” list.

remote control General Hospital Actor Ingo Rademacher and two former show staff members are suing ABC for refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19 after being fired from the series.