As we previously reported, 9-1-1 actor Rockmond Dunbar abruptly exited the series back in November over the COVID-19 vaccine mandates on the show. Dunbar sought a religious and medical exemption but it was denied by Disney, who produces the hit procedural. Now, months after his departure, Dunbar is suing production company 20th Television and its parent Disney over claims that the studio engaged in discrimination, including mocking his religious beliefs, barring him from the set, and hampering his ability to get other work.
In excerpts of the lawsuit, via Deadline, it states “In retaliation, Defendants summarily terminated Mr. Dunbar’s employment agreement, and refused to pay him the hundreds of thousands of dollars that are still owed to him. Then, wanting to make an example out of Mr. Dunbar, he believes that Defendants wrongfully leaked negative information to the media about his departure from ‘9-1-1’ including that he sought both religious and medical exemptions that were denied. Defendants deliberately made it sound like Mr. Dunbar was a recalcitrant anti-vaxxer, rather than present the truth – that like millions of other Americans, he is a sincere adherent to a non-mainstream religious belief that prevents him from being vaccinated.”
Back in November, Dunbar, who played Michael, the ex-husband of Angela Bassett’s character since the series’ inception, was abruptly written off the show. This came after he had requested, according to reports, a medical exemption and later a religious exemption from the COVID protocols on the show that require all actors to be vaccinated. The actor’s requests were reviewed by Disney and they were rejected, according to Dunbar’s lawsuit.
In addition, the lawsuit claims “the defendants’ actions violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the California Fair Employment Housing Act and common law principles of contract law. Dunbar is seeking “over $1.3 million in compensation owed to him under the contract,” as well as wide-ranging other damages and injunctions in the civil rights-based action. The suit goes on to say, “On information and belief, Disney has a history of racial discrimination, and Mr. Dunbar was subjected to disparate treatment and disparate impact discrimination on the basis of his race. On information and belief, non-minority employees similarly situated were not subject to termination when they refused the COVID-19 vaccine.”
Disney and 20th Television have yet to comment about Dunbar’s lawsuit but, back when he exited the series in November, they released a statement that read, “We take the health and safety of all of our employees very seriously, and have implemented a mandatory vaccination confirmation process for those working in Zone A on our productions. In order to ensure a safer workplace for all, Zone A personnel who do not confirm their vaccination status and do not meet the criteria for exemption will not be eligible to work.”
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