A longtime trans 'Hamilton' performer says their contract was not renewed after they asked for a gender-neutral dressing room
- Suni Reid said their "Hamilton" contract wasn't renewed after they asked for a gender-neutral dressing room.
- Reid is transgender and said they were misgendered after coming out in 2019 while performing.
A performer who has appeared in multiple productions of the hit musical "Hamilton" said their contract with the show was ended after they asked management for a gender-neutral dressing room, according to a complaint filed Wednesday with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Reid, who uses they/them and she/her pronouns, first began working as a performer in the Broadway production of "Hamilton" in 2017, playing "Man 6." From 2017 until 2021, Reid played other roles in the show, including George Washington, Aaron Burr, Hercules Mulligan/James Madison, and Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson.
In the complaint, Reid, who appeared in productions in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, alleged "frequent incidents of discrimination and harassment from cast members and management of Hamilton" due to their "race, sexual orientation/LGBTQ+ status, gender, and gender identity."
Representatives for "Hamilton" did not immediately return Insider's requests for comment Wednesday. A spokesperson for the show told TheWrap and other outlets it denied all of Reid's allegations in the complaint.
"Suni Reid was a valued cast member for more than three years. We offered them a contract to return to 'Hamilton' with terms responsive to their requests," a spokesperson for "Hamilton" told the outlet. "We deny the allegations in the Charge. We have not discriminated or retaliated against Suni.
"Since the shutdown, our organization has taken care of our community. We have treated Suni with the same respect and consideration as all the company members of 'Hamilton.' Specifically, we have given Suni direct financial support, paid for their health insurance, and paid for their housing. We wish Suni well in their future endeavors," the spokesperson said.
Hamilton, a musical that features a multiracial cast and retells the story of founding father Alexander Hamilton, is often heralded for its diversity.
During one instance, Reid alleges a cast member of the Chicago production threatened them with violence. They also alleged members of the cast regularly misgendered them in front of management after they came out as transgender and gender-nonconforming while performing in Chicago in 2019.
Lawyers for Reid in the complaint write that Reid asked their agent in May or June of this year to request a gender-neutral dressing room at the Los Angeles production of the show, which would reopen in August. The dressing room would not be used exclusively by Reid, the complaint says.
"This request was driven by the bullying and attacks that Mx. Reid had faced in the male dressing rooms at Hamilton in the past, as well as Mx. Reid's knowledge that other cast members would welcome having such a space available as well," the complaint said.
Reid's agent, identified in the complaint as Michelle Large, on June 23 asked "Hamilton" management to accommodate Reid's request because the gendered dressing rooms were "anxiety provoking" for Reid, according to the complaint.
The complaint said "Hamilton" management agreed to create a gender-neutral dressing room facility by placing a sheet in one of the gendered dressing rooms, which was "not a viable set-up," according to the complaint.
At one point, the complaint said Rory O'Malley, the actor who played King George in the Los Angeles production, offered to give up his personal dressing room for the purpose of creating a gender-neutral one.
After Reid asked for the gender-neutral dressing rooms, management brought up their social-media posts
In a June 29 email, a member of the people and culture team at "Hamilton," emailed Reid's agent and questioned their desire to work with the show, referencing their prior social-media posts about their experience working as a "Hamilton" performer represented a "continual and consistent disparagement of Hamilton and its leadership team," according to the complaint.
But Reid and their lawyers allege in the complaint that the posts were made on multiple occasions "in an effort to call attention to and spur action to address issues of racial equity" in management and about "safety for cast members" who belonged to marginalized groups."
Insider was unable to verify the content of the social media posts, which were made in Instagram Live videos and on Twitter, per the complaint, because Reid's Instagram and Twitter profiles are no longer publicly available.
Lawrence M. Pearson, an attorney for Reid, told Insider he was unable to provide links to any of the posts.
The complaint says management had previously been aware of Reid's posts because a contracted lawyer for the show, who was hired "as a factfinder to help address cultural issues at Hamilton," reached out to Reid to discuss their concerns, according to the complaint. Reid was not aware, the complaint said, that the posts would be used against them.
"Reid's online posts were not disparaging of the show, but rather raised issues of discrimination faced by particular individuals and expressing Mx. Reid's experiences as a transgender person of color in the theatrical industry while with Hamilton," the complaint said.
The complaint said management also refused on July 2 this year to engage with Brandon Nase, the executive director of Broadway for Racial Justice, who attempted to resolve the situation on Reid's behalf. Reid is also on the board of the nonprofit organization.
Then, on July 7, Luckie told Reid's agent that Reid's contract had been put "on hold," calling their social-media posts about the show "slanderous."
Reid informed the show on July 30 through their lawyer that they had legal "claims of discrimination and retaliation," in relation to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other human-rights and employment laws in California and in New York.
Reid was informed on September 18 through their lawyer that "Hamilton" was no longer interested in having "Reid perform in any Hamilton company or production" and said "renewal of their contract was no longer an option."
"Not only was this termination in blatant retaliation for Mx. Reid's legally protected request for a gender-neutral dressing room and protected complaints of discrimination and retaliation, but furthermore was retaliation for Mx. Reid's legally protected activity in retaining legal counsel and asserting claims of discrimination and retaliation against the Company," the complaint says.