Singh has been a mail carrier for Disney since 2008 but has been required to work on back-stage only routes due to his religious beliefs that required him to wear a turban and have a non-Disney compliant beard.
The Sikh Coalition and the American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to Disney executives on May 21 threatening legal action if Mr. Singh was not allowed to rotate on to on-stage routes as other mail services cast members do every three weeks.
According to the letter, Mr. Singh is an adherent of the Sikh faith, the world’s fifth largest organized religion. His religious beliefs require him to wear articles of faith that include unshorn hair, an unshorn beard, and a turban to cover his hair. These articles of faith serve as external visual reminders that Mr. Singh has committed himself to the values of truthfulness, courage, service, and love.
In responding to Disney’s accommodation the ACLU stated, “We hope that Disney will continue to be more welcoming of minority-faith employees and that other companies will follow Disney’s shining example. By adopting more inclusive religious accommodation policies, employers like Disney can show that happy endings are not just for fairy tales and that dreams do come true.”
Disney has not released a statement on this matter.