Former Medieval Times Performer’s Lawsuit Alleges Harassment and Retaliation at Buena Park Castle

The plaintiff played the queen in the Buena Park dinner show from 2019 until resigning in February 2024, the complaint says. The lawsuit names Medieval Times U.S.A., Inc. and three related Medieval Times companies and brings five claims: sexual harassment, gender discrimination, failure to prevent harassment and discrimination, retaliation, and whistleblower retaliation.

According to the complaint, the performer served as a witness around 2021 in a workplace harassment investigation into a horse trainer, who then turned hostile while management did nothing to step in. Buena Park employees unionized in November 2022 and went on strike in February 2023. During the strike, the complaint says, anonymous social media accounts targeted the performer with sexualized, altered images and private details. It alleges signs that employees or managers were behind the accounts, including posts that repeated information from management group chats.

The complaint also alleges that Medieval Times employees showed up at another theme park where the performer also worked and stared the performer down in a threatening way. After the performer formally reported the harassment in late 2023, the complaint says a manager ordered stitching removed from the performer’s costumes to cause wardrobe malfunctions on stage. It says a December 2023 letter from the company’s lawyer called the posts protected conduct under federal labor law and said no employees would be disciplined. The performer’s shifts were then limited to an early matinee, according to the complaint. The performer resigned in February 2024 and alleges being forced out.

Medieval Times U.S.A., Inc. denies every allegation in the complaint. In an answer dated June 12, 2026, the company says it took all reasonable steps to prevent discrimination, argues that federal labor law preempts the claims, and raises other defenses, including that it may not have been the performer’s employer and that time limits bar the claims at least in part. It asks the court to dismiss the case.

On June 15, 2026, Medieval Times U.S.A. moved the case from Orange County Superior Court to federal court in the Central District of California, court records show. We found no ruling on the allegations in the records available to us, and Medieval Times did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News, which reported on the case on November 6, 2026. This article may be updated as the case moves forward.

California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) bars sexual harassment at work. When the harasser is a coworker rather than a supervisor, the employer is responsible if it knew or should have known about the harassment and did not take immediate and appropriate corrective action. Employers must also take all reasonable steps to keep harassment from happening (Government Code §12940(j), (k)).

Whether that rule reaches the online posts is one of the disputes in this case. The complaint argues the posts were personal, gender-based harassment with no connection to union activity, so the company had to act. Medieval Times’ answer argues that federal labor law preempts claims tied to conduct that law arguably protects. Our page on workplace harassment in California explains what counts as harassment and who is responsible for preventing it.

FEHA also makes it unlawful to punish an employee for opposing harassment, filing a complaint, or testifying or assisting in a proceeding under the act (Government Code §12940(h)). A separate law protects employees who report what they reasonably believe is a violation of law to a supervisor, to someone with authority to investigate it, or to a government agency (Labor Code §1102.5).

California also recognizes constructive discharge. When an employer creates or knowingly allows conditions so intolerable that a reasonable person would feel compelled to resign, the resignation can be treated as a firing (Turner v. Anheuser-Busch, Inc., 1994). The complaint makes that claim, and Medieval Times denies that the resignation had anything to do with unlawful treatment. Our pages on workplace retaliation and on wrongful termination, including being forced to quit, go deeper.

Before suing under FEHA, a worker generally files a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, which can be done up to three years after the harassment or retaliation. Once the department issues a right-to-sue notice, the worker generally has one year to file a lawsuit. Our guide to California employment deadlines covers the exceptions.

Some employees sign arbitration agreements when they are hired. For sexual harassment claims that arose or accrued on or after March 3, 2022, federal law lets the person bringing the claim choose to go to court instead. This general summary of California and federal law is not legal advice.

No one should have to endure sexual harassment at work, or be pushed out for reporting it. Wilshire Law Firm’s employment lawyers represent California employees in sexual harassment, retaliation, and workplace discrimination claims. From our Irvine office, our Irvine sexual harassment attorneys work with employees across Orange County, including Buena Park.

We can explain the deadlines that apply to you and how to keep evidence such as messages and screenshots. If someone is threatening or following you, call 911 or contact local law enforcement. You can also meet the attorneys on our team.

Everyone deserves a workplace free of sexual harassment. A Wilshire Law Firm legal professional can listen without judgment, keep what you share confidential, and explain your options at your own pace, and there are no fees unless you get paid.

Contact Wilshire Law Firm today.