An off-duty Disney employee was fired last month for carrying a concealed weapon at Disney Springs.
According to WFTV, Sam Martinez, a transportation foreman with Disney, was shopping with his wife at Disney Springs when he was approached by security and confronted about having a gun in his possession. He states that the gun was concealed so he’s not sure how they knew he had it.
Initially when Martinez was approached by deputies and security officers he showed his concealed-carry permit and was then asked to leave the property. However, after it was discovered he was a Disney employee things changed.
“(They said), ‘You can’t have that here, and you can’t be a Disney employee and be carrying. It’s against our policies,’” Martinez said. “Well, I had never been informed of that.”
Martinez was suspended from work for 19 days and upon his return was immediately let go.
While the policy regarding handguns, and other weapons, at Disney theme parks is very clear – and there are metal detectors and security at every entrance – Martinez says that there was no signage alerting him that he could not have a weapon on him at Disney Springs.
Martinez is claiming that Disney had no right to terminate his employment and that his firing is unfounded.
“It’s a Second Amendment right for me to carry legally,” Martinez said. “I did everything legally and now it’s almost like I’m being punished for it.”
Since his termination he has learned that it is against Disney policy for any employee, on or off-duty, to carry a weapon on property. Martinez states that had he known that, he would have made a different decision that day in regards to his gun.
Disney has declined to issue a statement on Martinez’s termination, stating that it is a personnel matter.
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