By Hannah Mackay, The Detroit News
A Commerce Township family is suing Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and an employee, alleging the staff member at a Florida theme park filmed up the skirt of their child in 2023.
The incident occurred on March 30, 2023, when the child was visiting the Hollywood Studios Theme Park in Orlando with a grandparent and sibling, according to the complaint filed March 21 in Florida’s 9th Judicial Circuit Court.
The three were in the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge store looking at a toy when the employee, identified in the suit as Jorge Diazvega of Kissimmee, Fla., approached them, the complaint said. He took the toy to demonstrate how to use it and intentionally dropped another toy he was holding under his armpit in front of the child, according to the suit.
Diazvega has been charged with one count of invasion of privacy, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
There was no attorney listed in court records for Diazvega or the Walt Disney Co. as of Thursday. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday afternoon.
“Jorge Diazvega bent down to pick up the toy he had intentionally dropped and in doing so he reached his arm under the dress of the Plaintiff’s minor grandchild while holding an electronic recording device with the lens facing upward and he took photographic and/or videographic images up the dress of the Plaintiff’s minor grandchild without the child’s knowledge or consent,” the complaint said.
When the child realized they were being filmed or photographed, they began “hysterically crying and screaming,” and ran into a restroom where they suffered from a panic attack, dry-heaving, and vomiting, according to the complaint. A grandparent contacted Disney security, who called the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Diazvega admitted to several incidents of “video voyeurism,” including one with the minor on March 30, 2023, and police took his phone, the complaint said. They found more than 600 images and videos of “unwitting” guests and co-workers on his phone throughout his six-year employment, according to the complaint.
Before the March 2023 incident, Diazvega was caught recording a female co-worker without consent and reported to a supervisor, according to the complaint, which claims that Disney did not adequately investigate or address the report.
“Disney knew or should have known of Jorge Diazvega’s unfitness for his position and employment and the risk he posed to the theme park’s guests, employees, and minors,” the complaint said.
The suit seeks $50,000 in damages.
hmackay@detroitnews.com