Disney executive accused of harassment

Thomas Schumacher
Dick Cook, Chairman, The Walt Disney Motion Picture Group (L), Thomas Schumacher, President, Walt Disney Feature Animation (C), and Michael Eisner, Chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company, pose together at the premiere of "Dinosaur," in Hollywood May 13. Reuters

Thomas Schumacher, the president and producer of Disney Theatrical Productions and the chairman of the Broadway League, has been accused of harassment and using inappropriate language by the company's former employees.

Schumacher is the head of the theatrical division at Disney, the arm of the studio behind Broadway shows like "The Lion King" and "Aladdin".

Allegations against Schumacher, detailed in the Wall Street Journal, include harassment, inappropriate comments and compliments, and openly lewd remarks, reports variety.com.

One former employee, Bruce Williams who spoke on record, said he complained about ongoing harassment by Schumacher, although in the article Disney responded by saying it had no record of the complaint.

According to the publishing house, complaints by another former employee, Jane Buchanan, over inappropriate language culminated in Buchanan leaving the company with severance pay and a non-disclosure agreement. (IANS)