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A man fired by Disney is facing allegations that he tampered with restaurant menus through unauthorized access to menu technology Disney World used and engaged in denial-of-service attacks against a handful of employees.
Those allegations were made in a court filing submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida last week for a criminal complaint that claimed Michael Scheuer “manipulated the menus of restaurants owned and operated by Company A” by hacking into the servers of the tool that the company, described as a “media and entertainment company,” utilized for its restaurants.
According to the filing, the former Disney employee allegedly “manipulated the allergen information on menus by adding information to some allergen notifications that indicated certain menu items were safe for individuals with peanut allergies, when in fact they could be deadly to those with peanut allergies.” He also purportedly made “changes to prices” and put “profanity” in menus.
Scheuer, a former “menu production manager” fired in mid-June on purported “misconduct” grounds, was thought to have allegedly done so with a personal computer, according to the filing.
People walk in front of Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World on May 31, 2024, in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images) (Gary Hershorn/Getty Images / Getty Images)
404 Media and Court Watch reported Wednesday that “Company A” was Disney World, which Sheuer’s lawyer, David Haas, also told . reached out to Disney for comment regarding the court filing and Scheuer’s alleged actions.
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None of the manipulated menus went to any restaurants, acording to the filing.
Meanwhile, the denial-of-service attacks that Scheuer allegedly committed affected over a dozen Disney employees, causing them to be unable to access their accounts, the filing said.
ORLANDO, FL – JUNE 1: Cars enter the grounds of Walt Disney World on June 1, 2024, in Orlando, Florida. (Gary Hershorn/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Haas told that the criminal allegations “acknowledge that no one was injured or harmed by any menu alterations. He “look[s] forward to vigorously presenting my client’s side of the story.”
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“Mr. Scheuer has a mental disability that impacted his employment at Disney. He also had a medical event that resulted in him being suspended,” the lawyer said. “Disney then failed to respond to his inquiries about why he was suspended and his suspension was inexplicably changed to a termination. Disney refused to provide a response as to why he was fired and made no accommodations for his disability. He subsequently filed an EEOC complaint.”
The investigation into the cyberattacks involved an FBI search of Scheuer’s home, during which he denied both involvement and wrongdoing, the court filing said.
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Disney saw an estimated $150,000 in damages from Scheuer’s alleged actions, according to the filing. They purportedly occurred over a span of three months.
Disney World is one of 12 Disney theme parks at six locations globally. Tens of millions of people visit the Florida park each year.
A statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse stands in a garden in front of Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World on May 31, 2024, in Orlando, Florida. (Gary Hershorn/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Disney’s parks and experiences brought the company $28.15 billion in revenue in 2023.