Medieval Times Faces Lawsuits Over Harassment and Animal Abuse

Former employees of Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament have accused the North American dinner theater company of workplace discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation and animal mistreatment. Lawsuits involving its Buena Park, California, location describe alleged misconduct affecting female performers and horses used in live entertainment shows.

Founded in Kissimmee, Florida, in 1983, Medieval Times operates 10 locations across the United States and Canada. The company employs more than 2,000 people, according to the source report.

A former performer identified as Kaitlyn Farrell filed a civil lawsuit in June in the Superior Court of California, Orange County. She alleges that the workplace environment was characterized by gender discrimination and sexual harassment.

Farrell joined the Buena Park castle as a queen approximately five years before resigning in February 2024. Her complaint describes a workplace structure that allegedly disadvantaged female employees.

The lawsuit characterizes the workplace as a "two-tiered workplace culture" that treated women as "a lesser class of employee," according to the filing.

Farrell further alleges that unwanted advances against female employees became "normalized" and that reports of "gender-based misconduct" were routinely "dismissed" with "indifference."

Her complaint also describes retaliation after she agreed to serve as a witness in an internal harassment investigation involving another employee.

The lawsuit says Farrell became the "target of open retaliation by the very employee she reported on," while management allegedly failed to intervene.

Another incident involved her performance costumes. Farrell alleges that a manager instructed someone to "remove stitching" from her clothing.

She described the alleged alteration as "calculated sabotage" that was "maliciously intended to cause wardrobe malfunctions in front of live audiences."

Farrell also links her workplace experience to unionization efforts at the Buena Park location. After participating in a strike in February 2023, she alleges that she became the "primary target of an extreme, sexualized cyberbullying and doxxing campaign."

According to the complaint, anonymous social media accounts with "obvious indications" of employee or management involvement circulated personal information, derogatory captions and manipulated images depicting her face "on the bodies of semi-nude cartoon characters depicted in simulated sexual positions."

The allegations extend beyond online harassment. Farrell's lawsuit claims employees "traveled to Ms. Farrell's secondary workplace" at another theme park "to physically intimidate her while she was working".

After Farrell submitted formal complaints, an attorney representing Medieval Times allegedly dismissed the cyberbullying and stalking accusations in writing as "weird allegations."

Farrell's attorney, Charles Ludd Jr., told Fox News Digital that the legal team intended to pursue the case.

"We look forward to proving these allegations in court," said Charles Ludd Jr., Farrell's attorney.

Medieval Times did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on Farrell's lawsuit. However, former employee Bill Elliot, who worked as a knight at the same location for 12 1/2 years before leaving in 2015, disputed the accusations.

Elliot characterized Farrell's allegations as "false claims." He said his own employment experience had been positive.

"The company took care of us," said Bill Elliot, a former Medieval Times knight.

He described the compensation and benefits available during his employment.

"We had decent pay; full-time hours with overtime … full medical, dental and vision insurance; and 401K," Elliot said.

Elliot suggested that financial motivations influenced some former employees who brought claims against the company. He associated their position with what he called the "the-rich-need-to-pay-their-fair-share group."

He also questioned whether former workers understood the responsibilities involved in operating a large business.

"They have no responsibility in running a company that employs thousands of people and no risk in doing it, but believe they deserve more of the profit," Elliot said.

He argued that employees dissatisfied with their working conditions could have left rather than pursuing legal action.

"If it was such a toxic environment and company, they could have immediately removed themselves, but didn't," Elliot said.

Elliot also offered his perspective on relationships between male knights and female performers.

He said female cast members frequently sought "attention from the knights and [they] did everything to try and get that attention," according to his account.

He further rejected claims involving workplace culture and gender discrimination.

"Now, because those females didn't get their way or what they wanted, they started making false claims and screaming ‘toxic masculinity’ or any other buzzwords to get attention," Elliot said.

Another lawsuit, filed in 2019 by former employee Bethany Regan, raised separate concerns involving gender discrimination and the treatment of horses at the Buena Park location.

Regan joined the company in 2013. Court documents state that she was treated "less favorably" than male cast members during her employment.

Her complaint alleges that concerns about horse welfare were repeatedly brought to management. She described the head trainer as having a "volatile temper" and accused him of whipping horses "unnecessarily".

According to the lawsuit, some animals developed "large welts" across their bodies. Other horses allegedly underwent training that caused bleeding around their mouths and other parts of their bodies.

Regan also alleged that horses were "overworked" and sometimes denied rest until they became dehydrated. One horse allegedly died as a result of the conditions.

The complaint states that Regan had been warned that the head trainer was a close friend of the company's owner and that raising concerns could lead to "retaliation."

Despite those warnings, she reported animal welfare concerns and what she described as "dangerous and unsafe working conditions" affecting female performers.

Her lawsuit alleges that the company suspended her for "starting rumors," before eventually terminating her employment.

The case was settled in 2020. The settlement terms were not publicly disclosed, and Regan's attorney did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.