Sacked Disney employee claims company spied on him by hacking his phone and computer

Steven Van Soeren alleges he was target of harassment over his partner’s pregnancy

Fired Disney employee Steven van Soeren is suing the company, claiming it spied on him by hacking his phone and computer and that he was the target of discrimination and harassment over his new parental status.

Van Soeren worked as a product designer at BAMTech and Disney Streaming Services from August 2016 until he was fired in May 2019.

According to the lawsuit, Disney terminated Van Soeren’s employment without cause and did not provide severance pay.

Van Soeren alleged that while he worked for Disney Streaming Services, he was subject to “a work environment displaying a pattern and practice of discrimination and evidence of discriminatory animus” due to his partner’s pregnancy.

According to the lawsuit, “numerous” colleagues “discussed and referenced matters that Plaintiff had only discussed at home with his spouse, and/or viewed through his Google Chrome internet browser” last year, leading van Soeren to conclude that Disney employees had hacked into his home computer.

Van Soeren alleged that his boss, senior director of UX and design Brian McConnell, “blurted out to Plaintiff, ‘maybe you shouldn’t have a kid’” even though he had never been told about the pregnancy and that another colleague knew he had been googling whether carcinogens were in the food made at sandwich shop Subway.

As well as the alleged spying, Van Soeren claims McConnell and other DSS employees “continued to harass, taunt and intimidate Plaintiff throughout his spouse’s pregnancy and the birth of his child”.

McConnell allegedly verbally abused Van Soeren with comments such as “f*** you, Steve” as well as calling him the “tallest midget” and saying that “everything he said was stupid”.

The Independent has contacted Disney for comment.