ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A former employee of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is suing the company for firing her after she asked for a stool, according to court documents filed on Friday.
The lawsuit says that the employee — Samantha Barash — was disabled and told Disney as much when she moved to Orange County to work for the company’s Disney College Program.
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As part of the program, Barash was trained and housed in Flamingo Crossings Village at Walt Disney World, with rent being taken out of her paychecks automatically, according to the lawsuit.
Students in the program get the chance to work at one of Walt Disney World’s theme parks, take classes to advance their career, and earn college credit in the process.
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While working as a greeter, Barash was given a stool to account for her disability, though she was later denied a stool when she began working in parking, court records show.
Because of this, Barash complained about the lack of accommodations, the lawsuit says.
“The accommodations requested by (Barash) were quite simple: she only needed a stool for sitting,” the lawsuit reads. “Cheap and easy to accommodate. Hardly an unreasonable request in any sense.”
The lawsuit explains that around a month later in February 2023, Barash learned she had been fired when she was evicted from Flamingo Crossing via email, despite still being a cast member.
As a result, Barash is accusing Disney of discriminating against her based on her disability. The lawsuit claims that Disney has violated Florida’s Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
According to court documents, Barash is seeking compensatory damages for her trouble and to be reinstated as a full-time patrol officer at the company.
The full lawsuit has been attached and can be read in the media viewer below.
Disney College Program Student Lawsuit by Anthony Talcott on Scribd