White ‘Lion King’ sign-language interpreter says he was ousted over skin color

[Kamaji]

White ‘Lion King’ sign-language interpreter says he was ousted over skin color

By Jacob Geanous
November 12, 2022

It’s not the Great White Way.

A white sign-language interpreter says he was booted from “The Lion King” on Broadway because of his skin color.

Keith Wann, 53, was one of at least two people forced off the production by the non-profit Theatre Development Fund – which staffs Broadway shows with American Sign Language interpreters – after the group decided it was “no longer appropriate to have white interpreters represent black characters for ASL Broadway shows.”

Wann filed a federal discrimination lawsuit on Tuesday against the organization and the director of its accessibility programs, Lisa Carling.

Carling told him and interpreter Christina Mosleh to “back out” of the show — which celebrates its 25th anniversary on Sunday — so they could be replaced by black sign-language experts, according to the suit and emails obtained by The Post.

*  *  *

Source:  https://nypost.com/2022/11/12/lion-king-sign-language-interpreter-keith-wann-says-he-was-fired-for-being-white/

[Kamaji]

[Polly Ticks]

The Lion King I watched was about a LION and some hyenas, a meerkat, a warthog, etc.  None of which could reasonably be called black.