Disney Settles Gender Pay Discrimination Lawsuit for $43 Million

Disney recently announced that they have settled a class-action lawsuit with female employees for $43.25 million. The lawsuit, filed by LaRonda Rasmussen in 2019, accused Disney of paying male employees more than their female counterparts for the same roles. The settlement will potentially benefit up to 14,000 eligible female Disney employees who have been with the company since 2015.

Over the past five years, about 9,000 women, both current and former employees, joined the lawsuit against Disney. The company has consistently denied any wrongdoing but agreed to settle the case by issuing a financial payment.

The lawsuit claimed that Disney violated the Fair Employment & Housing Act and California’s Equal Pay Act by compensating male employees at a higher rate than their female counterparts. The settlement, which is subject to review by a judge in January, does not include women employed at Hulu, ESPN, Pixar, or former Fox properties.

A spokesperson for Disney stated, “We have always been committed to paying our employees fairly and have demonstrated that commitment throughout this case, and we are pleased to have resolved this matter.”