Disney sued over alleged age and disability bias in layoff

A longtime Walt Disney Co. production employee alleged the company demoted him under a policy of age discrimination after he disclosed a cancer diagnosis. He said he was later terminated in a purported layoff as his medical leave expired.

Jamon R. Hicks of Douglas/Hicks Law

"We question Disney's decision to terminate some of their older employees knowing that they're eligible for their retirement benefits and ... medical benefits. They're being terminated shortly before they fully vest," said Douglas/Hicks Law partner Jamon R. Hicks, who filed the suit along with senior associate Rebecca R. Brown.

In a phone interview, Hicks said his firm is handling multiple cases that he says point to a pattern of discriminatory terminations at Disney.

Rebecca R. Brown of Douglas/Hicks Law

In the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday, plaintiff Anthony Hurst, who says he worked at Disney for more than 30 years, claims he was fired last August despite maintaining strong performance and continuing to work on major entertainment projects - even after his 2023 cancer diagnosis.

Hurst's complaint claims Disney's stated reason for his termination - that it was "going in a different direction" - was pretextual and that age and disability discrimination motivated the decision.

According to the complaint, Hurst was "over the age of 40" at the time of his termination and approaching an enhanced pension milestone tied to his length of service.

A representative for Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment by press deadline Thursday.

In prior employment lawsuits, the company has maintained that its employment practices are lawful and that it is committed to fair and equitable treatment of its employees.

The complaint asserts violations of California's Fair Employment and Housing Act and lists six causes of action: age and disability discrimination, failure to accommodate, failure to engage in the interactive process, failure to prevent discrimination and retaliation. Hurst v. The Walt Disney Company, 26STCV10319 (L.A. Super. Ct., filed April 1, 2026).

According to the complaint, Hurst began working with Disney in the early 1990s as a contractor and was formally hired in 1995 as a videotape operator. Over the years, he advanced within the company and contributed to visual effects and production work, earning positive performance reviews, bonuses and merit-based raises, and was never subjected to discipline, his court filing stated.

The complaint alleges that Hurst was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in December 2023 and informed his supervisor of the condition. Despite undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, he continued to perform his duties and remained able to perform essential job functions with reasonable accommodations, the complaint alleged. This included remote work and participation in ongoing projects.

According to Hurst's IMDb page, he is most recently credited as a boom operator on the Disney+ original series "The Stolen Girl," which premiered in April 2025.

In the complaint, Hurst alleges that shortly after disclosing his diagnosis, Disney demoted him without any performance-based justification, resulting in the loss of bonus eligibility and other compensation benefits he had received for years. Hurst claims the demotion was not tied to any documented decline in performance, misconduct or business necessity.

The filing further alleges that Disney terminated Hurst the same week his protected medical leave expired, even though he was still assigned to multiple projects at the time and the company continued to need the work he performed.

According to the complaint, his duties were later redistributed to younger or non-disabled employees he claimed "were treated more favorably and were not selected for termination under comparable circumstances."

The plaintiff also alleges Disney failed to provide reasonable accommodations for his medical condition and did not engage in a good-faith interactive process to determine legally appropriate solutions.

Hurst claims Disney retaliated against him for engaging in protected activity, including disclosing his illness and taking medical leave.

He seeks damages for lost wages and benefits, emotional distress and harm to his professional reputation.