The spa’s employee was unable to escort a biological male to the women’s lockers, and the spa took disciplinary action.  

A spa in Hershey is being accused of punishing an employee over her religious beliefs. 

Jeriah Sellers, who worked as a concierge at MeltSpa, was unable to escort a biological male to the women’s locker room due to her religious belief that there are only two genders. 

The biological male, who identified as a woman, checked in to the spa in May. Sellers notified a supervisor that she was unable to escort the individual to the women’s locker room. The supervisor then completed the task. 

The supervisor told Sellers prior to the client’s arrival that the individual was a transgender woman and a “well-known political figure.”

According to the lawsuit, Sellers expressed to her supervisor that she was not comfortable escorting the client to the women’s locker room. The supervisor said this was “no problem” and escorted the guest instead. 

Sellers was suspended one day without pay and filed discrimination charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday against Hershey Entertainment & Resort Company, which operates MeltSpa by Hershey. 

Sellers began working for the spa in August 2023. Her job as a part-time concierge required her to escort guests to the male or female locker rooms prior to their spa treatment. 

When Sellers arrived at her next shift, the lawsuit says that her manager asked her to discuss the “accommodation” she had received from her supervisor during the previous shift. 

After Sellers explained, her manager reportedly said that the accommodation would have to be run by the human resources department for approval during any time she was unable to escort a guest. 

Sellers was brought into her manager’s office to talk to an HR representative during the following shift on June 4. According to the lawsuit, Sellers was notified that she violated the company’s “Spa Transgender Practices” and was written up and suspended from her shift that day without pay. 

During the meeting, Sellers was asked to assign a form agreeing that she “refused to assist a guest based on gender identity.” She said this was untrue and refused to sign the form. 

The lawsuit says that the HR representative told Sellers, “Hershey wants you to leave your personal, religious, and political beliefs at the door.”

Sellers says she never received a copy of the guidelines. The policy for staff says, “if another guest complains, kindly say guests are welcome to use the locker room that corresponds to their gender identity. Bathroom and shower stalls are also located within the locker rooms for privacy. If you would prefer more privacy, you are welcome to use the private restroom in the spa. If you prefer, you may also change in the treatment room prior to your service.”

In a recent statement, Sellers’ lawyer noted that “Federal and state law require reasonable religious accommodations absent undue hardship. This case asks the court to affirm that principle and to make clear that employees shouldn’t be penalized for living their faith respectfully on the job.”

According to Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company, Sellers is still employed at the spa.