In March 2020, Disney theme parks worldwide were forced to close their gates as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to spread, killing millions of people. Bob Chapek had only been CEO of The Walt Disney Company for one month before he was forced to make some really tough decisions. In response to the closures and the pandemic, Disney laid off thousands of workers and furloughed thousands more.One of the cast members furloughed was Khatchatur Berberian, who had been working with the company for more than 15 years. However, Mr. Berberian claimed that Disney fired him after the company began bringing workers back. In September 2023, Mr. Berberian filed a lawsuit against Disney, claiming he was fired due to his age and his Armenian heritage.Credit: DisneyRelated: Disney and Pixar Struck With Federal LawsuitIn the lawsuit, Mr. Berberian claimed that he was hired as a mail center messenger back in 1998, and it was a job that he loved. However, he claimed that, in 2014, a new manager was brought in, and the new manager got into a physical altercation with him. This was shortly after Mr. Berberian learned that he had heart disease. He claimed that he tried to get his complaint addressed by multiple supervisors, but the issue was ignored.Mr. Berberian further claimed that twice in 2020 — once in January and once in March — his manager continued to harass him about his ethnicity. He stated that the manager said that all Armenians are “hairy” and speak with an accent.In 2020, Mr. Berberbian was furloughed, and then, in September 2021, he was terminated from his job. He said that he was told his position had been eliminated, but younger people who held the same position were not fired.Credit: DisneyRelated: Disney’s Bob Iger Named in Contentious Legal BattleMr. Berberian filed his lawsuit with the Los Angeles Superior Court in September 2023, but sadly, he passed away from cardiac arrest on December 12, 2024, at just 53 years old. Shortly after his passing, a judge declared that the executor of Mr. Berberian’s estate could continue with the lawsuit on his behalf.Originally, Disney fought against Mr. Berberian’s claims with several defenses. Disney claimed that the lawsuit was not legitimate because the statute of limitations had passed. The company also claimed that Mr. Berberian was let go for “legitimate non-discriminatory and/or non-retaliatory reasons.”However, in a somewhat surprising move, Disney recently decided to settle the lawsuit instead of continuing to fight it in court.Credit: DisneyRelated: Disney World to Pay $50k After Guest Sustains Injury on Roller CoasterAccording to a report from The Orange County Register, Anterine Jackson — the executor of Mr. Berberian’s estate — had her attorney file the paperwork, informing the court that a tentative settlement had been reached. It is further expected that the paperwork for an official case dismissal will be filed by September 30, at the latest.At this time, the details of the settlement have not been disclosed. We do not know if Disney admitted to any wrongdoing, and we do not know how much Mr. Berberian’s estate agreed to settle for.Even if Disney does not publicly say they did anything wrong, do you think that the company is admitting guilt by settling the lawsuit? Do you think it was right of them to settle after Mr. Berberian passed away? Share your thoughts with us in the comments. The post Disney Settles Discrimination Lawsuit After Former Cast Member Dies appeared first on Inside the Magic.