A judge has signed an order allowing qualified members of a proposed class of plaintiffs in a misrepresentation suit against the Walt Disney Co. to take part in a new early retirement program.
In their Los Angeles Superior Court complaint in which they are seeking class certification, Maria De La Cruz, formerly of Altadena, and South Pasadena resident George Fong allege that Disney coerced them and other colleagues to relocate from Southern California to Lake Nona, a planned community in Orlando, promising them affordable housing, good schools and a new office with many benefits.
Disney canceled the Lake Nona project in 2023.
De La Cruz and Fong say they gave up their California residences in 2022 and bought new homes in central Florida, where home prices had actually increased due to the proposed new facility.
On Thursday, Judge Lawrence Riff signed an order allowing eligible members of the proposed class to take part in a voluntary early retirement plan with an enhanced retirement package that recognizes their service and contributions. About nine members of the proposed class qualify for the program, according to the attorneys’ joint court papers.
Eligibility for the retirement program is limited to U.S. executives who, among other things, are at least 50 years old and have a minimum of 10 years of service.
The parties will have a mediation session on Dec. 4 and a status conference on the settlement efforts is scheduled before Riff on Dec. 15. The lawsuit was filed in June 2024.