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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A judge who holds Disney stock has removed herself from presiding over a lawsuit filed by a Black man suing Disney Content Services Inc., in which the plaintiff alleges he was wrongfully fired in 2022 because he complained about displays of the Confederate flag and a President- elect Donald Trump insignia in the workplace.
Donald Stewart's Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit alleges race discrimination and harassment, wrongful termination, retaliation and failure to prevent discrimination and harassment. Stewart seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
During a case management conference Thursday, Judge Teresa Beaudet removed herself from the case.
"The court recuses herself as the court has financial interest in the form of stock in Disney and company related to defendant in this action," the judge's clerk wrote in a minute order that also stated the case was being transferred to a supervising judge for reassignment.
In their court papers, Disney attorneys maintain a California court has no jurisdiction to hear Stewart's case because he lives in Georgia and the events he alleges occurred took place outside of California as well.
According to Stewart's suit, he was hired in October 2020 as a health and safety manager and throughout his employment, he was subjected to a "racially discriminatory hostile environment, including viewing the Confederate flag and the Trump insignia on workplace sites and/or workplace- related sites on multiple occasions."
Stewart's first day on the job was during the coronavirus crisis, and a maskless front gate security guard handed him an iPad with a dirty screen, the suit states. When the plaintiff refused to touch the device, the guard told him to park in a dirt lot far from the entrance, which he did because production office personnel told him they were too busy to pick him up, according to the complaint.
A security supervisor who was not present during Stewart's interaction with the other guard later emailed messages to managers alleging that the plaintiff had been "mean, confrontational and not willing to follow the rules," the suit states.
Two white employees told Stewart that he "did not belong there" and a third white employee on another occasion said in front of Black employees, "When you turn out the lights, they come out everywhere, like roaches," according to the suit, which additionally alleges Black workers were referred to as "monkeys" and that another Black employee complained to Stewart about being called the "n" word.
When Stewart applied for promotions, the positions were instead given to white employees even though the plaintiff's qualifications were equal or superior, the suit states.
Stewart complained to human resources about the allegedly racially discriminatory work atmosphere, but nothing changed, according to the suit, which further states that Stewart was fired in June 2022 on grounds of poor judgment, lack of integrity, retaliatory behavior toward colleagues, failure to report potential conflicts of interest and failure to follow safety protocols.
He maintains all of those accusations are false and were not brought until he reported his alleged disparate treatment.
Stewart has experienced lost earnings and suffered emotional distress since losing his job, the suit brought last July 2 states.