MEDIA WATCH | DISNEY MEDIA NETWORKS

Disney Is Supporting Religious Discrimination

Given the history of the Disney Company, it’s my guess that the prejudice against my church stems more from being misinformed than from actual malice.

October 15, 2018

Ms. Latondra Newton
Senior VP & Chief Diversity Officer
The Walt Disney Company

Dear Ms. Newton,

I’m writing to you out of concern that the Disney Corporation’s continuing support of Leah Remini’s anti-Scientology program on A&E may indicate a corporate culture in which members of lesser known religions, and more specifically my religion, are not welcome.

It’s a common practice in hiring to search prospective employees’ names on the Internet. My fear is that at Disney, when it’s discovered that an otherwise qualified prospect is a Scientologist, it could be an automatic fail. There are anti-Scientology sites on the Internet specifically set up by anti-religionists to “out” Scientologists when their names are searched.

My local Church of Scientology, here in the Los Angeles foothills, has a mailing list of over 7,000 names. I know from personal connections that many of my Scientology neighbors work in the entertainment industry—from gaffers and crew to well-known actors. Bigoted exclusion is particularly ugly when it strikes close to home.

Given the history of the Disney Company, it’s my guess that the prejudice against my church stems more from being misinformed than from actual malice. If you would care to learn more about Scientology as it exists in the real world today, I suggest you browse the on-line Scientology TV channel.

You would be doing both Disney and hundreds if not thousands of Scientologists who work in the industry a huge favor if you could help resolve the dispute over Ms. Remini’s hateful show. I’ve been a Scientologist for over 40 years. The Scientology they depict is so far removed from reality that it’s beyond me how the show ever made it to air in the first place.

Given your mission at Disney, I thought it would be a good idea to write, and I thank you for taking the time to consider this situation.

Sincerely,

Jim Kalergis
La Canada, Calif.