May 9, 2025
A California judge said Friday he intends to grant preliminary approval of a $43.25 million class action settlement in a suit alleging Disney paid thousands of women in middle management less than their male colleagues.
Current and former employees claimed that Disney paid female employees in California less than men for similar jobs, regularly passed women over for promotion and saddled them with extra work without providing additional pay. (Photo by (Jimin Kim / SOPA Images/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)
During a morning hearing, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elihu M. Berle read aloud a draft of a ruling that would grant a motion for preliminary approval of the settlement after counsel in the case make minor adjustments and resubmit it.
Counsel for both sides were present either in the courtroom or remotely, but no oral arguments occurred before or after the judge read the draft order, which took about 20 minutes.
“Based on the evidence submitted, [the court] intends to grant the motion approving the class action settlement,” he said.
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The workers are represented by Lori Andrus of Andrus Anderson LLP, Joseph M. Sellers, Christine E. Webber and Phoebe Wolfe of Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC and James Kan and Stephanie E. Tilden of Dadrian Ho Kan & Lee.
Read Disney Nears Prelim Approval On $43M Gender Pay Bias Deal.