Mouse trap: Disney employees file lawsuit over scrapped Florida project
Two Walt Disney Company employees, Maria De La Cruz and George Fong, have initiated a lawsuit against their employer. The lawsuit alleges that the company's decision to cancel a project in Florida, for which they had relocated from California, resulted in financial and emotional distress, reported CNN. The legal action is proposed as a class action, suggesting that numerous other employees may have experienced similar hardships. They are seeking an undisclosed amount in damages.
Cancelation of $1B Florida project sparks lawsuit
In 2021, Disney's then-CEO Bob Chapek announced the relocation of 2,000 positions from California to Florida. However, the company abandoned the $1B Lake Nona office complex project in May 2023 amid a now-settled legal and political dispute with Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. The plaintiffs, Maria De La Cruz and George Fong, both part of Disney's product design division, were among those who had relocated for this project.
Employees allege deception and financial distress
The lawsuit accuses Disney of "misrepresenting" its true intentions for the aforementioned project, causing financial and emotional distress to at least 250 employees who relocated. The complaint states that employees were told in July 2021 that Disney "made it clear that employees who declined relocation would lose their jobs." Both De La Cruz and Fong sold their California homes and purchased new ones in Florida, with Fong even selling his inherited family home.
Concerns over job security and financial challenges
Following the project's cancelation, De La Cruz voiced her concerns about job security in an email to human resources. She expressed fear of being laid off after deciding to stay in Florida, stating, "I don't want to be punished for being put into a situation my company put me in." Both De La Cruz and Fong returned to California due to these concerns but faced financial difficulties as housing prices had fallen significantly in Lake Nona.
Disney yet to comment on employee lawsuit
The company still owns the 60 acres of land it had bought for the Lake Nona project, but its future plans for the property remain undisclosed. Attorney Jason Lohr, representing De La Cruz and Fong, stated, "Ms. De La Cruz, Mr. Fong and many others dutifully moved to Florida because they love their jobs, they love the people they work with, and they love Disney." Disney has not yet responded to the lawsuit.
