A longtime Disney executive accused the mass media company of sexual orientation discrimination in a lawsuit filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Joel Hopkins’ lawyers filed the complaint on the first day of Pride month. Hopkins accused the company of promoting others at the same level of employment while he received no equal compensation. The VP Production Finance claimed he was put on a “dead-end career track” in the lawsuit, according to Deadline.
The Walt Disney Company may be gearing up for its traditional celebration of Pride month, but today a long-time executive has hit the House of Mouse with a lawsuit of discrimination based on sexual orientation https://t.co/qScTj4aO3t
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) June 1, 2021
“Plaintiff has direct and repeated complaints to HR about the discrimination he has endured while employed by Defendants and, concomitantly, the related failures to promote him and to pay him at the same level as other department heads,” the lawsuit, obtained first by Deadline, stated. (RELATED: Disney Sued For ‘Pay Discrimination,’ Allegedly Underpaying Female Employees)
“After his sexual orientation became known to his superiors and after being discriminated against and put on a dead-end career track and repeatedly denied promotions with no remedy or relief from HR, Plaintiff is informed and believes that yet again, in or around April 2021, several promotions occurred, but Plaintiff once again was not promoted,” the lawsuit continued.
“Plaintiff is informed and believes that these promotions occurred despite representations that Disney was hurting financially and not promoting.”
Hopkins is looking to receive compensatory damages, punitive damages and other costs, Deadline reported. The VP had previously filed a complaint in April with California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing, according to the outlet.
Hopkins reportedly began his employment with Disney in 1994 and was promoted to VP Production Finance of Touchstone in 2000. He is currently the VP Production Finance at ABC Signature Studios, Inc., Deadline reported.