Disney Cast Member Sues Over Alleged Firing for Taking Approved Leave

A former Walt Disney World cast member has filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging she was fired for taking leave that had already been approved. According to the complaint, the cast member, who worked as a back-of-house utilities custodial worker, submitted paperwork in May 2024 requesting medical leave for gender-affirming surgery five months before the scheduled procedure.

The company did not notify her of her FMLA rights until October 2024, past the five-day window required by law. Despite this, she was later approved for short-term disability through February 9, 2025, and underwent two surgical procedures during that period. She returned to work as soon as her leave was up.

However, in May 2025, the cast member experienced a flare-up of anemia and complex post-traumatic stress disorder and requested intermittent FMLA leave and reasonable accommodations for those conditions. Her request was approved on May 31, 2025.

But just a week later, she received a termination letter from HR that stated her termination was due to attendance points accumulated during her approved leave. The cast member claims this is evidence that her termination was driven by her disability and protected leave.