Disney and Capgemini sued over alleged racial discrimination

William Lacks, a former IT support engineer, has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against The Walt Disney Co. and Capgemini America Inc., alleging racial discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination.

Lacks, who worked at Disney Studios in Burbank, claims his Latino IT team leader made derogatory remarks about Black people, including stating a lack of trust in Black individuals. The suit alleges that the team leader and a co-worker frequently made racially offensive jokes and that Lacks was excluded from team communications and professional collaboration.

Furthermore, the lawsuit contends that Lacks was unfairly assigned heavy physical tasks, such as a full studio inventory inspection, which allegedly resulted in a hernia. Lacks is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages for racial hostility, retaliation, and emotional distress.