Former Disney Employee Files Racial Discrimination Lawsuit Against Disney and Capgemini

A Black former employee has filed a lawsuit against The Walt Disney Co. and digital information provider Capgemini America Inc., alleging that his Latino IT team leader made inappropriate workplace remarks about Black people and favored staff members of his own race.

William Lacks filed the action in Los Angeles Superior Court, stating he worked for both companies. His allegations include wrongful termination, racial discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and both intentional and negative infliction of emotional distress. Lacks is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

A Disney representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the lawsuit, which was filed on Friday.

Lacks was hired in 2017 as an IT support engineer and worked at Disney Studios in Burbank. He was the only Black employee within the technology studio and administrative services group.

According to the suit, Lacks was subjected to racial harassment, hostility, and exclusion beginning in March 2025 and continuing through his termination. The filing states that the team leader openly declared that he did not trust Black people and, alongside a co-worker, regularly made racially derogatory jokes and remarks about Blacks.

The team leader allegedly refused to collaborate with Lacks or accept his assistance, instead directing work and support tickets to newer Latino employees. The lawsuit also alleges that Lacks was excluded from team conversations, communications, and activities.

The lawsuit alleges Lacks was unduly assigned heavy physical work and tasked with a full studio inventory inspection across the projector, conference, screening, review, and editing rooms. The heavy lifting eventually left the plaintiff with a hernia, the suit states.

Additionally, Lacks was removed from working red-carpet events and the associated overtime he had previously worked. His supervisor allegedly laughed when informed of the team leader's alleged racism and protected the offender rather than addressing the issues Lacks raised, the suit contends.

Lacks was let go in November 2025 without warning or progressive discipline, and management said nothing to him regarding poor job performance. He believes he lost his job because he complained about the alleged workplace discrimination. The plaintiff has suffered lost wages and emotional distress, the suit further states.