US TV actor Rockmond Dunbar is suing 20th Television and The Walt Disney Company for almost £1m, following an alleged racial and medical discrimination case.
The actor was allegedly sacked after claiming an exemption for the Covid-19 vaccination. He claimed it was because of his race and religious beliefs that ultimately led to the decision of him getting fired from the 9-1-1 TV drama.
Rockmond Dunbar is an American actor best known for his role as Micheal Grant in 9-1-1, Benjamin Miles “C-Note” Franklin on Fox’s Prison Break.
According to his court case, he wanted exemptions based on his beliefs as a member of the Church of Universal Wisdom and an undisclosed disability. According to the actor’s court filings, Church of Universal Wisdom members “are obligated to avoid medical intervention that introduces disease into the body” and refuse to have their skin pierced for medical treatment.
He alleges he was denied permission to remain unvaccinated while other cast and crew members were given exemptions, although “none sought a religious exemption and none were Black”, he claims.
The actor’s defendants claim that “the administrators who work for [20th Television and Disney] never took Mr Dunbar’s requests for accommodations seriously. They openly mocked his beliefs and proceeded to deny Mr Dunbar his accommodations, based on nothing more than rank hearsay and assumptions.”
20th Century issued a statement, denying all claims: “To ensure safe working environments at our productions we have implemented a mandatory vaccination confirmation process. While we will not comment on any one individual, each request for exemption is given a thorough review and we grant accommodations consistent with our legal obligations. There are no differences in our process or decision-making based on an employee’s race.”
Disney has not yet issued a statement.