May 12, 2011
DOCUMENT: Celebrity, Florida

Settlement In Donald Duck Groping Lawsuit

Woman alleged Disney character fondled her at Epcot

Donald Duck

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Donald Duck Dismissal

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MAY 12--The Pennsylvania woman who alleged that she was fondled by Donald Duck during a visit to Epcot Center in Florida has settled her lawsuit against Disney, federal court records show.

April Magolon’s complaint, filed last August against Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, was formally dismissed today by Judge John Padova in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia. The judicial order came a day after lawyers for the parties reported that the matter had been settled. Magolon’s attorney, Michael Pansini, sought dismissal of the lawsuit “with prejudice,” meaning that the action could not be refiled.

The court filings do not disclose settlement terms, which presumably included a payment to Magolon, a 28-year-old Upper Darby resident. The settlement came prior to Magolon or Disney filing motions or pretrial memorandums in the case, which involved claims of negligence, battery, and infliction of emotional distress.

According to her complaint, Magolon (pictured at right) was visiting Epcot with her children and fiancé in May 2008 when she was groped by a Disney employee dressed like Donald Duck as she sought an autograph. After the incident, Magolon charged, Donald Duck made gestures “indicating he had done something wrong.” Magolon’s complaint sought in exceess of $50,000 in damages.

Magolon contended that her fondling at the puffy hands of the cartoon character caused her to suffer “severe physical injury, emotional anguish and distress including, but not limited to post-traumatic stress disorder.” Court filings indicated that she was prepared to support these claims with testimony and records from her clinical psychologist.

Additionally, Pansini reported, Magolon had “Video of the events of May 20, 2008” that could be used to support her claims. A ban on the distribution or broadcast of that video would likely have been part of the legal settlement. Pansini did not respond to a phone message or an e-mail seeking comment about the settlement. (6 pages)

Donald Duck Dismissal

TAGS

Disney, Epcot Center, groping, Donald Duck

Comments (72)

Submitted by jelliot38 on Mon, 2011-05-16 19:33.
Donald Duck was displaying truly Goofy behavior. Do you think he planned his attack, or did he just wing it? A web of mystery surrounds this event.
Submitted by JustAGuy on Mon, 2011-05-16 17:33.
Wow, go to Disney World, claim you got groped by a Disney character and get paid! America, what a country!
Submitted by 1984AnimalFarm on Sun, 2011-05-15 12:25.
This woman sued poor Donald after voting for Clinton a few years ago for doing the exact same thing.
Submitted by newguy on Sun, 2011-05-15 10:19.
what did she expect? he doesn't wear pants
Submitted by Loveourvets on Sun, 2011-05-15 16:07.
Best comment, yet!
Submitted by CppThis on Sun, 2011-05-15 02:15.
The Eisnerites have spent a lot of time and money screwing over everybody who's not them so I suppose this is just a sign of the times...
Submitted by Thomas1 on Sat, 2011-05-14 23:36.
Maybe Donald Duck can start working for TSA!
Submitted by Acacia59 on Sat, 2011-05-14 22:31.
Wow, by the looks of this woman, it is clear that Disney should extent vision benefits for their employees.
Submitted by yougottobekidding on Sat, 2011-05-14 21:08.
I've been telling people for years that sneezy diddled me and no one believed me. It now time to look into the whole 7 drawfs situation-I don't think it's healthy.
Submitted by Norman56 on Sat, 2011-05-14 20:23.
Donald got DOWN and Goosed the Chick, but she went all crazy and cried foul! Now his goose is cooked! He better fly the coop!
Submitted by 1984AnimalFarm on Sun, 2011-05-15 12:38.
If you keep making comments like that...? You had better DUCK!
Submitted by AltosConic on Sat, 2011-05-14 18:13.
This type of profiterring made possible in America by the corrupt legal system and the politically correct social construct where reason and justice no longer exist... long replaced by greed and the preservation of the perception of politically correct behavior. Much like the witch hunts in days of old, guilt is not the issue, only the perceived observance of the notion that safe is far better than sorry. In a evolved legal system she would be fined and perhaps incarcerated for false statments and her lawyer disbarred for agreeing to file such a frivolous law suit.
Submitted by Loveourvets on Sat, 2011-05-14 16:05.
Ok, I just want to know one thing......why was she wanting an autograph from some unknown person in a cartoon character costume? Duh!!!
Submitted by lynl6 on Sat, 2011-05-14 15:55.
So she has all these mental problems as a result of this but grease her palms with some money and all of a sudden she gets better. Usually in a case like this it is easier for the company to settle than pay all the money in attorney fees to fight.
Submitted by Oilbama on Sat, 2011-05-14 14:50.
....sure....she got some money... but for the rest of her life she and her children (ducklings probably) and their children will be explaining how she managed to get sexually assaulted by Donald Duck!
Submitted by Joe Astroturf on Sat, 2011-05-14 14:14.
She was too embarrassed to mention the 3 way he suggested with Daisy. Maybe instead of money she could have listened to Obama's favorite poems about Bush and cops being killed to soothe her by "Common".
Submitted by L33ssa on Sat, 2011-05-14 11:04.
Just another case of fowl play at Disney?
Submitted by SamIamTwo on Sat, 2011-05-14 11:03.
DD and again his failed attempt at foreplay, eh? A book and a movie in the making. I still think he's a virgin.
Submitted by drleadbasedpaint on Sat, 2011-05-14 09:39.
If she flew to and from Orlando, she probably got groped a lot more by Obama's TSA goons. Apparently she didn't suffer much psychologically from that.
Submitted by Gomalio Fung on Sat, 2011-05-14 08:54.
"If a snake in the grass is an asp in the grass, why is a grasp in the a** a goose?"
Submitted by Gomalio Fung on Sat, 2011-05-14 08:46.
It's all relative. A doctor can shove his bill in your face. A duck can shove his bill up your a**.
Submitted by duckhead on Sat, 2011-05-14 08:37.
Did this woman really get 50G's for being felt up? I went through the TSA and got felt up and didn't get 50g's What an ROI, where do I sign up?
Submitted by Gomalio Fung on Sat, 2011-05-14 08:34.
Donald's attorney says he thinks this woman is f**king Goofy.
Submitted by nicademus on Sat, 2011-05-14 01:17.
If I owned a business and somebody sued me for some silly BS...and they still win the case and get millions. Somethin' jus might happen to them for being so GD greedy.
Submitted by DustinAcebo on Sat, 2011-05-14 02:48.
It says that she had a video of the incident, and disney settled with her out of court so obviously Donald must have done what she said DUMBASS
Submitted by riverstyx on Sat, 2011-05-14 00:11.
So I checked into the past-incidents and precidents regarding the fabled "Disney characters molesting park guests" on snopes and noticed one thing in common: They've all been frivolous and never win. The claims are so ridiculous that anyone can make them up and it falls back on Tigger and Pooh to prove his innocence from the physics of the design. There was one case in 1976, another in 1981, and another in 1994. What isnt mentioned by most people is that these disney characters are beaten, punched, kicked, trampled, pinned-down and assaulted by rogue guests. These cases can never be solved because of their lack of peripheral vision and restricted movement. And it works both ways with these attempted "Molestation" charges that always fall apart in court. Michael Chartrand's wife left and he lost his job, regardless that he was found not guilty. I actually feel really bad for these costumed folks, they're victims in more than one way and I salute every one of you who did it truly because you love people. From what I gather, the pay sucks and its hotter in the costume then outside (Imagine a nice 80 degrees to a scorching 95 to 100 degrees for a few dollars over minimum wage). These bogus lawsuits always say the same thing, filed years later: "Emotional Anguish/Distress, and PTSD". I'm sorry, but this whole thing just reeks of the 'Mcdonalds Hot Cup Of Coffee' mentality...People need to grow up. The woman in 1976's claim was that it left her so upset that she gained 50 pounds. These days everyone's gaining 50 pounds, no distress or anguish required, sheesh!
Submitted by RealityCheck on Sat, 2011-05-14 11:16.
FYI, I originally thought the same thing about the "McDonalds Hot Cup Of Coffee" incident. However, urban legends about this case are mostly incorrect. The woman in that incident was a passenger in the car, received 3rd degree burns to her thighs and genitals, spent a week in the hospital, required several skin grafts and all she wanted was her medical bills paid for. A reasonable person may expect to be scalded by hot coffee, not spend a week in the hospital. The arrogance of McDonalds' lawyers was one the main reasons the judge awarded such large damages against the company. Check it out, google it or whatever. It's actually rather interesting how the story erroneously became such a talking point for frivolous lawsuits.
Submitted by Roger1345 on Sat, 2011-05-28 23:49.
I have checked it out, googled it, whatever. Take care not to be led astray by injury lawyers' sites;some published a lot of lies about it when there was a campaign to curtail their excesses. 1. The original settlement was extraordinarily large for a minor injury. 79 y.o. Liebeck was awarded $2.86 million for an injury that required only 8 days hosptialization (I have had worse myself!) For perspective, a typical award for a SEVERED HAND is under $100k + medical and loss of earnings. 2. The judge agreed. Contrary to your claim, it was the *jury* that awarded the grossly inflated damages. The judge found the award was clearly wrong in law, and reduced it to $640k -- more reasonable, but still excessive. 3. The actual amount paid was far less; McDonald's lawyers persuaded the plaintiff's lawyers to accept an undisclosed, far smaller sum. Since they were already awarded more, obviously they expected to lose outright if it went to appeal. 4. The plaintiff's fundamental case is that the coffee was defective because it was too hot. There is nothing to argue about here: the claim is nonsense, wrong, rubbish. There simply is no such thing as coffee that it both warm enough to drink, and yet cool enough to safely spill on an elederly person's genitals. In fact there is a good 50°F gap between these limits. Coffee is supposed to be prepared at 200°F ± 5°F and served before it drops below 180°F at the latest (except in the case of espresso, which can go to 160°F). Any lower, and you will get complaints about bad coffee. There is no exact agreement what water temperature causes what burns (obviously controlled experiments are out), and it certainly varies a lot by skin type. However it is generally agreed that on the most delicate skin (genitals of babies and elderly people), even 130°F can cause injury, and 150°F is definitely dangerous. 5. Several very similar cases have since been peremptorily dismissed on precisely those grounds.
Submitted by don_holleran on Sun, 2011-05-15 14:27.
A bit more info on "McDonalds Hot Cup Of Coffee" incident. At the time a number of fast food digs set up a special pot of coffee (not intended for consumption) on super high heat, for the aroma effect. The Mc employee (too lazy to make a new pot) went after this super hot pot, and served a cup. After reading all the facts of the case the consumer was totally in the right to file.
Submitted by Blorg on Sat, 2011-05-14 14:30.
A reasonable person might not hold a cup of hot coffee between their legs in a vehicle.
Submitted by captainrich on Fri, 2011-05-13 21:51.
What kind of example is Donald setting for Huey, Dewey, and Louie Duck?
Submitted by broccoliobama on Fri, 2011-05-13 17:37.
I think Fog-Horn Leg-Horn would be more likely to be a molester.
Submitted by Burl on Fri, 2011-05-13 23:55.
That's Foghorn Leghorn. And don't you be casting aspersions on Foghorn Leghorn; he's one -- I say, he's one of the *finest* cah-toon characters you'll evah run across.
Submitted by broccoliobama on Fri, 2011-05-13 17:35.
Maybe it was "Duck-Man." (That was a hilarious "adult cartoon" several years ago, and it would be like Duck-Man to do this.)
Submitted by Gomalio Fung on Sat, 2011-05-14 08:50.
Ahh, a joke is NOT funny if you have to EXPLAIN the reference it's based upon.
Submitted by Oilbama on Fri, 2011-05-13 16:53.
The statement is, "...alleged Disney character fondled her at epcot center" ... I just wonder where the center of her epcot is exactly and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is a woman's "epcot" anyway? ...just wondering. The article also says she was "groped by an employee who was dressed as Donald Duck". That proves right there that it was NOT Donald Duck doing the groping. It was an employee IMPERSONATING Mr. Duck. ...so there...
Submitted by broccoliobama on Fri, 2011-05-13 16:43.
.......f__king Goofy. Hilarious.
Submitted by OldFuzz5150 on Fri, 2011-05-13 16:35.
Used to be a character at Disneyland. 1) Donald character is VERY short - extremely good chance it was 18-25 yr old straight female (who is now probably out of a job thanks to this... lady). 2) The costume has reduced visibility somewhere south of 10%... you can see only above the bill out sunglass eyes and a netted circle out the mouth. Seeing out the eyes at night is very difficult. If you watch Donald for awhile in the park you will see "him" turn "his" head from side to side this is because there is NO forward visibility. This is why 99.9% of all the attacks on characters by "park guests" are NOT prosecuted. When the cops ask you can you identify your attacker you may only know what shoes they were wearing or the color of their shirt sleeve. 3) As a Character you WILL bump into people and they will run into you. You won't mean to, but it WILL happen. A person who doesn't love people WILL NOT survive this job. It's hot (typically 15' hotter in costume), uncomfortable, pay is crappy, unhealthy (gives most people permanent damage to neck/back, enlarged heart, reduced lung capacity etc), so you really gotta LOVE people. 4) Is it possible that Donald felt her up? My guess probably about 1% chance. 99% chance "Donald" accidentally elbowed her breast (this is probably where the apologetic gestures came from - characters can't talk) and so Disney decided to pay off her home mortgage to protect the brand image and reduce lawyers fees. 5) If this really happened - why isn't there a criminal case against the person in the suit? He/she doesn't work for the T S A right?... so shouldn't they get charged for sexual assault? I mean if there is video and everything. Right? 6) And Popeye is not a character at the Disney parks... and I had a background check as part of the application, but I haven't worked there in years so maybe they don't do that anymore. 7) Disney is ONLY interested in protecting their brand and making money.
Submitted by Eke on Fri, 2011-05-13 15:57.
And to make matters worse, the counselor that she went to was a quack...
Submitted by Eke on Fri, 2011-05-13 15:55.
Did Donald Duck goose her?
Submitted by Oilbama on Fri, 2011-05-13 16:57.
...probably not.... but he probably ducked when she took a swing at him.
Submitted by Oilbama on Fri, 2011-05-13 15:05.
I need to add; considering the amount of distress this woman apparently endured with a few feathers and her public reputation with it all, she will probably never get ducked again.
Submitted by Oilbama on Fri, 2011-05-13 15:02.
After the hearing, Donald Duck walked into a pharmacy and requested a dozen condoms. Recognizing the famous character, the pharmacist laid the condoms on the counter and inquired, "shall I put that on your bill, Mr. Duck?". To which Donald Duck exclaimed, "NO! I'm not that kind of duck!".
Submitted by Working Liberal on Fri, 2011-05-13 15:15.
lol at both jokes.
Submitted by Mo Ma' on Fri, 2011-05-13 15:59.
Daisy Duck seeking a divorce and over half of the financial resources, stocks and holding amassed by the old money Duck empire. She is being consoled, advised and comforted by her long time high school drop out lover, glenn beck. Film at eleven....
Submitted by broccoliobama on Fri, 2011-05-13 16:10.
The attorney said, "Mr. Duck, I understand you are divorcing Daisy because she is crazy." Donald replied, "No. It's because she is f__king Goofy !"
Submitted by irishcutter21 on Fri, 2011-05-13 14:48.
Donald just wanted to play with her fun bags.
Submitted by hornethius on Fri, 2011-05-13 14:42.
Where the heck did the severe physical injury come from? Did Donald try and shove his entire arm up her or something? No one hear her screaming? It's greedy law suits like these that are making it entirely too expensive to go to Disney. And I live in Orlando.
Submitted by Oilbama on Fri, 2011-05-13 16:56.
hmmm.... well since you live near the Disney characters, the question to YOU is; when did YOU last dress up in Donald Duck attire?
Submitted by openthreads on Fri, 2011-05-13 14:37.
Reading this article has caused me emotional anguish and distress including, but not limited to post-traumatic stress disorder.
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