Disney’s Broadway Boss Accused of Sexual Harassment

Tom Schumacher, the Disney theatrical executive who has spearheaded the Broadway musical The Lion King and the about-to-open Frozen production, allegedly has a history of crossing “boundaries of appropriate workplace behavior,” including sexual harassment, according to The Wall Street Journal. The report, citing two witnesses to each allegation, claims Schumacher, previously a top animation executive on hits like Pocahontas and film The Lion King, allegedly routinely commented on the sexual attractiveness of colleagues in the workplace, talked about pornography, and walked around the office in a bathrobe with supposedly nothing underneath, between the 1990s and early 2000s. Schumacher joined Disney in 1988 and was an animation executive on hits like Pocahontas and film The Lion King. A Disney spokesperson said the complaints are “thoroughly investigated and appropriate action taken” at the company; Schumacher remains at the helm of the $50 million production, which is set to open tomorrow. Through a friend, Schumacher denied all incidents in the article to the Journal.