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.