Disney Settles Pay Equity Lawsuit for $43.3 Million

Walt Disney has agreed to pay $43.3 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging that female employees in California were paid less than their male counterparts over an eight-year period. The lawsuit, initiated in 2019 by LaRonda Rasmussen, accused Disney of a $150 million pay disparity, with 9,000 current and former female employees joining the case. It highlighted salary decisions based on previous pay as a cause for discrimination. As part of the settlement, Disney will retain a labor economist for three years to address pay equity issues among salaried employees below the vice president level. The settlement, which is pending judicial approval, comes after Disney's 2022 review claimed women earned 99.4% of what men did. The plaintiffs' attorneys praised the women involved for challenging pay disparities at one of the world's largest entertainment companies.