- Who: A woman with a disability sued Walt Disney Parks.
- Why: The plaintiff alleges workers at Disneyland Resort would not let her into the park with her service dog in violation of the law.
- Where: The Disney discrimination lawsuit was filed in a California federal court.
A woman with a disability hit Walt Disney Parks with a lawsuit alleging she was subjected to discrimination when she was illegally denied entry to the Disneyland Resort because she has a service dog.
Plaintiff Alia Ashfaq filed the complaint against Walt Disney Parks and Resorts US Inc. on Feb. 3 in a California court, alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and California's Unruh Civil Rights Act.
According to the lawsuit, a Disney Parks security officer and his boss would not let Ashfaq and her trained service dog into Disney California Adventure Park, which is located within the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim.
Ashfaq has been considered a person with a disability since 1998 and has a valid California disabled licence plate on her vehicle, the Disney lawsuit states.
She suffers from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, herniated discs in her neck and back, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety, according to the lawsuit. Her dog is trained to help prevent and minimize the impact if Ashfaq were to have an anxiety attack, she says.
"Plaintiff's service animal is specifically trained, to, among other things, detect signs of an anxiety attack before it happens and apply deep pressure therapy, tactile stimulation, as well as provide crowd control and panic prevention in public," the Disney discrimination lawsuit states.
Plaintiff encountered 'unrelenting discrimination' at park, Disney discrimination lawsuit states
Ashfaq is a "Magic Key" holder at the Disney park, meaning she is allowed reservation-based admission to Disneyland Resort for repeated visits, she states.
On Dec. 6, when planning a visit to the park with her son and service dog, she says she scheduled her visit in advance, noting that she required disability access.
However, when they got to the Disney California Adventure Park, Ashfaq says a guard stopped her as they moved towards the entrance, telling her she could not continue, the Disney lawsuit alleges. When Ashfaq asked to speak with the guard's manager, the supervisor also denied her entry to the park, she says.
"Encountering such blatant and unrelenting discrimination, plaintiff insisted that her son proceed into the park to enjoy his visit while plaintiff waited out in the car with her service animal," according to the Disney lawsuit.
Ashfaq seeks a court order stopping Disney Parks from denying access to disabled people with service animals and damages of at least $25,000.
In other Disney news, last month, two former ESPN employees filed a lawsuit against the company and its majority owner, Disney, alleging they were illegally fired after refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
What do you think of the allegations against Walt Disney Parks in this lawsuit? Let us know in the comments!
Ashfaq is represented by Richard Morin of the Law Office of Rick Morin PC.
The Disney discrimination lawsuit is Alia Ashfaq et al., v. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts US Inc., Case No. 8:23-cv-00216, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
Disney discrimination lawsuit claims woman illegally denied entry into Disneyland Resort due to service dog
A woman with a disability hit Walt Disney Parks with a lawsuit alleging she faced discrimination when she was illegally denied entry to the Disneyland Resort because she has a service dog.
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