Multiple Employees Claim They Were Fired From an Escape Room in Retaliation to Their Discrimination Complaints

Former employees at Lockbusters Escape Game on International Drive are speaking out after they say six workers were fired without warning in July — months after current and former employees reported to the owner complaints of racist, sexist and transphobic abuse by a manager.

Workers accused the manager, Gabriel Ballester, of using the N-word while mimicking a social media video, making unwanted remarks about a coworker’s smell and appearance, repeatedly outing a transgender employee to customers and to potential employees during job interviews, and berating employees for minor mistakes.

At least seven employees wrote letters reporting Ballester’s behavior to the owner of the company, Gellert Szaloki, in April, according to copies ex-workers gave the Orlando Sentinel.