Anonymous WWE Employee Requests Taped Shows Be Shut Down Amid Safety Concerns

An anonymous person who said they were a WWE employee appealed to the Orange County Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday to shut down WWE's tapings at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, over concerns regarding coronavirus. 

Jon Alba of Spectrum Sports 360 tweeted a video of the board reading the complaint made by a WWE employee identified only as John:

According to Cassandra Negley of Yahoo Sports, the complaint read as follows:

"My employer, World Wrestling Entertainment, aka WWE, is forcing me to work the TV tapings for its weekly shows despite home orders for coronavirus. I am unable to speak out as I need this job and I know I will be fired if I approach my higher-ups.

"Despite sanitary precautions, we cannot maintain social distancing and have to touch other people. I request the government to shut down these tapings and enforce the stay-at-home order so my colleagues and I may follow social distancing rules without fear or repercussion of losing our jobs."

However, WWE provided a statement to Bleacher Report on Wednesday refuting the allegations:

"These accusations aren’t true. Employees know they can confidentially go to Human Resources, not the public. Notwithstanding the appropriate protocol, no one would be fired if they were uncomfortable with their surroundings. We’ve made accommodations for individuals upon request."

Although a stay-at-home order is in effect in Florida through at least April 30, Gov. Ron DeSantis deemed WWE an essential business because he believes Americans are "starved for content."

Alba noted that while there is no way to confirm that the person who filed the complaint is indeed a WWE employee, "several within the company" have privately expressed concerns over WWE continuing to produce shows.

WWE had been taping content ahead of time, but it announced last week that it would return to airing live episodes of Raw, SmackDown and NXT. Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet then reported that WWE was revising its schedule to incorporate tapings in an effort to improve safety and lessen the amount of travel for its talent.

Per Satin, a WWE representative released the following statement regarding the decision to continue producing television during the COVID-19 pandemic:

"We believe it is now more important than ever to provide people with a diversion from these hard times. We are producing content on a closed set with only essential personnel in attendance following appropriate guidelines while taking additional precautions to ensure the health and wellness of our performers and staff. As a brand that has been woven into the fabric of society, WWE and its Superstars bring families together and deliver a sense of hope, determination and perseverance."

Two weeks ago, WWE confirmed to Satin that an "on-screen talent in the company who is not a member of the roster" tested positive for coronavirus. WWE called the situation "low risk" to other personnel since that person did not come into contact with other WWE performers and employees after being exposed to the coronavirus.

Despite the risks involved with COVID-19, WWE has continued to air three television shows per week, and it even produced a two-night version of WrestleMania earlier this month with no fans in attendance.

While WWE is still running, it made several cuts last week to account for lost revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic. WWE released several in-ring performers and furloughed many other employees within the company.

Although no official numbers has been given, PWInsider (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Marc Middleton) reported that a source said it "felt as if at least 40 percent of the company was gone."

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