An executive from the Walt Disney Company alleged that the historic brand thoroughly engages in race-based hiring practices but uses coded language to avoid liability.
During a series of undercover videos made by investigative journalist James O’Keefe’s O’Keefe Media Group, a Disney senior vice president named Michael Giordano appeared to detail a series of questionable hiring practices and beliefs ingrained at the company.
Speaking to an undercover reporter, Giordano claimed that diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives go right to the top, including through CEO Bob Iger.
“Do you think Bob has a say in the diversity stuff when they’re casting people?” the journalist asked.
“100%. He gives the directive … ‘Hey, I want every show to have substantial diversity,’” the executive said.
‘I think there’s certainly a belief that it’s just good for society.’
Iger had said in April 2024 that the company does not infuse any messaging into its content. He noted that the company is trying to reach a “diverse audience” and said certain viewers can sometimes be “turned off by certain things.” He added that Disney has to be more sensitive to the interests of a broad audience.
It is perhaps the latter that was coded terminology signaling the DEI beliefs at the company.
Giordano said in the undercover videos that diversity is sometimes “so front and center. … We have so many shows where we’re casting and we’re like ‘yeah, we’re not even gonna see certain people for it.’”
The journalist then asked if Disney tends to “only look for diverse candidates for certain roles.”
“At times, yeah,” Giordano replied. “I think there’s certainly a belief that it’s just good for society, but there’s also a belief that ‘We’re gonna make more money if we appeal to a wider variety of people and it’s a good thing.’ We have shareholders too and diversity helps with that.’”
‘They’re very careful about messaging because they don’t want to get sued for discrimination in either direction.’
As an example of the company’s alleged obsession with skin color and employee appearance, Giordano provided an anecdote where he claimed that an executive was passed on for a role because, while the person was half black, the candidate didn’t appear black enough to make a difference.
“We wanted to hire somebody in a department from a few years ago now, who was half black but didn’t appear half black. And there was a creative executive who was like, ‘That’s not what’s wanted.’ They wanted somebody in meetings who would appear a certain way and he wasn’t gonna bring that to the meeting.”
Giordano then claimed the company had attitudes toward people who are mixed-race.
“If you’re mixed, you don’t look black at all — which sometimes happens — then they’re like ‘Oh I’m not so sure.’ But if they’re mixed and you can tell they’re part black but not that black, then okay. It’s crazy,” he claimed.
The executive went on to state that the company is very careful with wording as to avoid litigation for discriminatory practices.
“They’re very careful about messaging because they don’t want to get sued for discrimination in either direction, but certainly there have been times where, there’s no way we’re hiring a white male for this.”
He added that the company would be very careful how this messaging was relayed to agents, giving the example that they might tell representatives they are not looking for the “usual suspects.”
Giordano said that he was about a half-step below being the head of his department, and while he has his own team at the Walt Disney Company, he doesn’t oversee the entire department.
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