One of the most talked about issues in our current sociopolitical is that of wage inequality between the sexes. With male and female pay rates being significantly different for some time, the issue has been brought to the attention of many notable figures in the political spectrum, as well as the celebrity world. And one of the largest companies in the world is now being brought into the crossfire, as Walt Disney Studios is being sued over that very subject.
Two employees, LaRonda Rasmussen and Karen Moore, are suing Disney for damages pertaining to everything from benefits to pay lost from the alleged inequality. With the claims of a wage gap paying “tens of thousands” fewer dollars to female employees, this suit might get more intense as it looks like it will be set up as a potential class action complaint.
In addition to any monetary demands that result from this lawsuit, Rasmussen and Moore’s complaint also stipulates that Disney should create a framework inside of its corporate structure that remedies and prevents such inequality from happening within the company ever again. This is something that representatives for Disney have claimed already exists within the company, and has done so long before this complaint was filed.
While it remains to be seen just how valid these claims are, and what sort of proceedings and judgements will result from it, these legal movements come at an interesting time. Disney has recently completed its integration of 21st Century Fox into it corporate holdings, so this is the sort of story that most companies would love to not see land on their desk in the early days of such an undertaking. But like it or not, pay inequality is not an issue that will go away lightly, and whether this gap is present or not at Disney, the company will obviously have to address the matter until all parties involved are satisfied.
This complaint reported by Deadline is far from the first legal complaint that Disney has received from one of its employees, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. Familiar with such a political firebrand of a complaint, Disney has taken big stances in certain issues of social importance themselves. So hopefully, this scenario can be resolved in due time, with the sensitivity required, and in a manner that can make everyone happy.
At the moment, this case seems to be in the earliest phases of development, so there’s a possibility that Disney might even be able to settle out of court, or agree to some sort of solution so as to avoid a trial altogether. For now, all we can do is watch, and wait.
Disney currently has Dumbo in theaters, with its next big release being Avengers: Endgame, set to break the world of the box office on April 26th.
