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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 21, 2024)
August 21, 2024 Page 5 Bridging the Digital Divide Jeffrey Piccolo and Dr Kanokporn Tangsuan Disney Reverses Course on Attempt to Block Wrongful Death Lawsuit Widower Signed Disney+ Streaming Contract (AP) — Disney is no longer asking a Florida court to dismiss a wrongful death lawsuit on the grounds that the victim’s family had signed up for its streaming service Disney+. The company filed a notice in Orange County court on Tuesday to withdraw the motion, which had drawn swift back- lash when it became public. Josh D’Amaro, chairperson of Dis- ney’s theme park division, said in a statement emailed earlier to The Asso- ciated Press that the entertainment giant will waive its arbitration rights and al- low the suit, brought by the husband of a New York doctor who suffered a fatal al- lergic reaction after eating at a restaurant in Disney Springs, to proceed in court. “At Disney, we strive to put humanity above all other considerations,” he said in the Monday night statement. “With such unique circumstances as the ones in this case, we believe this situation war- rants a sensitive approach to expedite a resolution for the family who have expe- rienced such a painful loss.” Disney had previously argued that Jeffrey Piccolo could not sue the compa- ny because he agreed to settle any law- suits against the company out of court when he signed up for a one-month trial subscription to Disney+ in 2019. Picco- lo’s lawyers didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday. In a response filed this month, they ar- gued that it was “absurd” to believe that the more than 150 million subscribers to Disney+ have waived all rights to sue the company and its affiliates in perpetu- ity because of language “buried” in the fine print. The company, in its bid to have the lawsuit dismissed, argued Piccolo had not agreed just to the arbitration terms in his Disney+ trial, but also again when he signed up for an account on Disney’s website and app in order to purchase the couple’s tickets for their ill-fated theme park visit. Both sides had been slated to make their case before a judge in Orlando on Oct. 2. Arbitration allows people to settle disputes without going to court and gen- erally involves a neutral arbitrator who reviews arguments and evidence before making a binding decision, or award. Disney, in a follow-up statement to The Associated Press last week, said that it was merely defending itself against Piccolo’s attempt to include the compa- ny in his lawsuit against Raglan Road, the Irish pub in Disney Springs where the family dined. Spokespersons for the restaurant didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday. Disney Springs is owned by Disney, which leas- es some of the spaces in the outdoor din- ing, shopping and entertainment com- plex to other companies. Piccolo’s lawsuit claims the family had decided to eat at Raglan Road in Oc- tober because it was billed on Disney’s website as having “allergen free food.” Piccolo’s wife, Dr. Kanokporn Tang- suan, a physician with NYU Langone’s office in Carle Place, New York, had a severe allergy to nuts and dairy prod- ucts, and the waiter had assured them her food was prepared without allergens, the lawsuit states. But less than an hour after finishing their dinner, Tangsuan had difficulty breathing, collapsed and died at a hospi- tal, despite self-administering an EpiP- en, according to the lawsuit. The medical examiner determined she died as a result of “anaphylaxis due to elevated levels of dairy and nut in her system,” the lawsuit states. AT&T, Human-I-T Provide 50 Laptops and Backpacks to Vancouver Students Providing Students with Laptops and Supplies Before They Head Back to School AT&T* and Human-I-T provided Treehouse 50 refurbished laptops and backpacks stuffed with school supplies today to distribute to Vancouver students in need. This distribution is part of a broader AT&T employee effort to help bridge the digital divide and equip 20,000 stu- dents across the country with laptops and backpacks before they head back to school. In addition to supplies like We are Open! 3901 N. Mississippi Ave. Portland, OR 97227 P: 503.281.0453 Fax 503.281.3408 Web: www.sunlanlighting.com E-mail: kay@sunlanlighting.com notebooks, pencils and headphones, the backpacks included cards of encourage- ment written by AT&T employees. In Washington, it’s estimated that 6% of households don’t have access to the internet or connected devices needed to fully participate in the online world, an issue known as the digital divide. This effort is part of the AT&T Con- nected Learning® initiative to help ad- dress the digital divide through internet accessibility, affordability and safe adop- tion. AT&T is committing $5 billion to help 25 million people get and stay con- nected to high-speed internet by 2030. “AT&T is proud to collaborate with organizations like Friends of the Chil- dren-Seattle and Compudot to help close the digital equity gap in Seattle and King County,” said Lauren Paolini, Area Manager, External and Legislative Af- fairs, AT&T Washington. “Connectivity is vital for students, and we’re glad we can provide these resources to those that need them most.” Learn more at att.com/connectedlearning.
