Euro Disney targeted in French racism complaint

(PARIS) - A French court official examined personnel files at the Disneyland amusement park outside Paris on Wednesday as part of a probe launched following a discrimination complaint.

Euro Disney management said a bailiff had visited its site in Marne-la-Vallee to verify whether the files contained information on the employees' racial or ethnic background.

The action followed a court decision last month to investigate a complaint lodged by the anti-racism group SOS Racisme, which accused Euro Disney of using racial profiling in its hiring practices.

"The bailiff was able to see that we have no documents containing such categorization or information," said a Disney official, adding that "all of the information requested was provided."

SOS Racisme cited accounts from employees of Euro Disney supplier Adecco-Restauration who said they were classified as African, north African, Caribbean or European, meaning white.

"Most of Disney's clientele is European which means that employed cast members must be mostly European," said SOS Racisme in a report released Wednesday. Staff at the Euro Disney site are required to wear costumes.

SOS Racisme said work applicants were asked to specify on Euro Disney's employment forms which region of France they may hail from such as Guadeloupe or Martinique, whose populations are mostly black and mulatto.

Disney said it had a policy of promoting diversity in its staff and that 36 percent of its employees at the Paris theme park were from outside the European Union.

"We have nothing to hide," said the Disney official, who accused the anti-racism group of waging "a deplorable media campaign" against the US entertainment giant.

French law bars companies or the government from collecting racial data on citizens, even if the aim is to combat discrimination.

The organisation presented its report to Patrick Karam, who is President Nicolas Sarkozy's representative for equal opportunities for French citizens from overseas departments.

Karam called for legal action to be taken against firms that resort to racial profiling, saying "as long as companies have the feeling that they risk nothing, they will continue."