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Walt Disney is facing a lawsuit accusing the company of systematically underpaying women in California. The legal action alleges that female employees at Disney in the state earned a staggering $150 million less than their male counterparts over an eight-year period.
The lawsuit, filed on a Friday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, aims to have a four-year-old civil suit certified as a class action. If successful, the class action would cover approximately 12,500 current or former full-time female Disney employees who held positions below the level of vice president.
According to the filing, an analysis of Disney’s human resource data from April 2015 to December 2022 revealed that female employees were paid around 2% less than their male counterparts. This analysis was conducted by David Neumark, a labor economist and professor at the University of California Irvine.
However, Disney has disputed the findings and intends to demonstrate the falsity of the plaintiffs’ claims through the litigation process. Shawna M. Swanson, associate general counsel and head of the employment law function for Disney, stated, “The plaintiffs’ assertions about an alleged pay gap between women and men are simply false, which we will demonstrate through the litigation.”
The original lawsuit was initiated by LaRonda Rasmussen in 2019 after she discovered that six men holding the same job title earned significantly more than she did. The complaint even highlighted the case of a recently hired male employee with fewer years of experience earning $20,000 more than Rasmussen. Since then, nine other current or former Disney employees have joined the lawsuit.
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Lori Andrus, the lead attorney representing the plaintiffs, emphasized that many of the named plaintiffs deeply appreciate the Disney brand but simply seek fair compensation. She stated, “Several of the named plaintiffs, they do love the Disney brand, they just want to be paid fairly.”
If the allegations of lower pay for women in California are proven true, it would constitute a violation of the state’s Equal Pay Act and the Fair Employment & Housing Act. These laws aim to ensure gender equality in the workplace and prohibit discrimination based on gender in terms of compensation.
The legal battle between Disney and the plaintiffs will likely unfold in the coming months as the court decides whether to certify the lawsuit as a class action. If successful, this case could have significant implications for Disney and the wider conversation surrounding pay disparities and gender equality in the workplace.
It is crucial to closely monitor the developments of this lawsuit as it shines a spotlight on the ongoing struggle for fair and equitable pay for women. The outcome of this legal battle could have far-reaching consequences, not only within the entertainment industry but also for workplaces across California and beyond.
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