Disney Hit with Federal Civil Rights Complaint over DEI — Alleges Discrimination Against White Men, Christians, and Jews

The Walt Disney Company has been hit with a federal civil rights complaint alleging the company’s DEI policies are unlawful and discriminate against white American men, Christians, and Jews.

America First Legal filed the complaint against Disney on Wednesday. The group cited publicly available documents published on Disney’s official sites as well as leaked internal documents showing how executives have made diversity, equity, and inclusion a central part of  Disney’s hiring practices.

“It is sad and tragic that a company whose name was once synonymous with wholesome and charming childhood fantasies is now dedicated to spreading divisive bigotry. We urge Disney to cease and desist its unlawful and destructive conduct at once,” said Stephen Miller, president of America First Legal and former Trump administration official.

At the heart of America First Legal’s argument is that Disney has implemented de-facto quotas in its hiring, which violates employment law.

These quotas are often disguised as “diversity and inclusion policies” but in some cases, Disney has publicly listed actual percentages when it comes to hiring for its productions.

Among the published quotas is the goal that 50 percent of Disney’s TV series directors must come from “underrepresented groups.”

“It is patently unlawful to consider racial, ethnic, and sex-based characteristics in hiring, training, compensation, and promotion,” America First Legal said in its complaint. “Decades of case law have held that policies that impose racial balancing or quotas in employment, training, or recruitment, such as those presented on Disney’s websites, are prohibited.”

The complaint also cites a leaked internal Disney document that was published by Elon Musk on X.

The document is a Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQ”)  on Disney’s “Inclusion Standards,” which describes the company’s intention “to increase training and development opportunities for members of underrepresented groups.”