Displaying items by tag: lawsuit
USA: Disney World trying to avoid lawsuit due to a technicality
Disney World is seeking to dismiss a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Jeffrey Piccolo, whose wife died from an allergic reaction after dining at a Disney World restaurant in 2023, even though the restaurant was repeatedly told about her allergies. Disney argues that the dispute has to be settled by arbitration because Piccolo agreed to Disney's terms of use, which include an arbitration clause, when signing up for a Disney+ free trial in 2019 and again when purchasing park tickets in 2023. His lawyers contend that this argument is ‘preposterous’, noting that the terms of use were related to a streaming service and not applicable to wrongful death or personal injury claims. They also argue that Piccolo agreed to the terms for himself, not on behalf of his late wife. Disney's motion to move the case to arbitration will be reviewed by a Florida judge in October. Arbitration, favoured by Disney for its privacy and confidentiality, is generally quicker and less costly than a court trial.
Youth vs Europe: 'unprecedented' climate trial
Six young people from wildfire and heatwave-affected areas in Portugal have taken 32 European governments to court, accusing them of violating their human rights by not taking sufficient action on climate change. The case, filed in September 2020 against all the EU member states and also Britain, Switzerland, Norway, Russia, and Turkey, is the largest climate case ever heard by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg. A ruling is expected in the first half of 2024. The applicants argue that the failure to address climate change endangers their rights to life and physical and mental well-being. One of the applicants, 15-year-old Andre Oliveira, highlighted the impact of heat extremes on his ability to exercise and spend time outdoors, leading to sleep difficulties and worsening conditions due to weak climate policies.
USA: airline fired Christians 'illegally'
According to a lawsuit, Alaska Airlines violated federal and state anti-discrimination laws when it fired two Christian flight attendants who spoke out against the Biden administration-backed Equality Act bill which adds ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’ to a protected classes list for public places, education and employment. Marli Brown and Lacey Smith, who have brought the lawsuit, were fired shortly after expressing concern about the bill after the airline asked for employees’ comments on it. They were compelled by their Christian faith to speak out against the bill's impact on religious freedom and women's sports, among other things. The airline immediately removed them from flight schedules, terminated their employment, and disparaged their religious expression and beliefs as 'hateful,' 'discriminatory,' and 'offensive’. Alaska Airlines' treatment of the two women and its various public statements show that it does not tolerate employees who hold biblically-based, traditional religious beliefs on issues of sexual morality, the lawsuit says.