- The Washington Times - Tuesday, November 26, 2024

Disney has agreed to pay $43 million to settle a lawsuit alleging the company paid women less than men with the same job title.

The company settled Monday, agreeing on the $43 million figure but admitting no wrongdoing and disputing the plaintiff’s claims. The settlement is pending and awaiting judicial approval.

On top of the settlement fee, Disney must hire a third-party labor economist to examine the company’s pay equity among its full-time employees in California, below the vice president level.

The suit, which dates back to 2019, was brought originally by Disney employee LaRonda Rasmussen, who accused the company of paying her much less than her male counterparts. According to Ms. Rasmussen, one of her male coworkers with the same title and less experience than her made $20,000 more a year.

Over five years, around 9,000 former and current Disney employees joined the lawsuit.

Disney has long disputed claims that it pays its female employees less than men. In 2022, the company announced that an internal review found that female Disney employees made 99.4% of what their male counterparts earned.

• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.

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