Former Disney Employee Sentenced to 3 Years for Hacking Menus to Remove Allergy Information, Add Profanities

A shocking case of corporate espionage and disregard for public health has come to light in the form of Michael Scheuer, a former employee of The Walt Disney Company. In a surprising turn of events, a federal judge has sentenced Scheuer to three years in prison after he was found guilty of hacking into the park's menu system to remove peanut allergy information and add profanities.

Scheuer, 40, of Winter Garden, Florida, had worked as a menu production manager for Disney, responsible for creating and distributing all restaurant menus, including digital versions. His termination on June 13, 2024, was met with controversy, with reports stating that his firing was "contentious" and not amicable.

However, what was thought to be an ordinary case of employee termination turned out to be a sinister act of cybercrime. Scheuer allegedly hacked into the menu system, making changes that threatened public health and safety. The altered menus included the removal of peanut allergy information, which could have put unsuspecting guests at risk.

But that wasn't all - Scheuer also added profanities to the menus, which would have been detrimental to families with young children. Furthermore, he sent multiple log-in requests, preventing over a dozen employees from accessing their accounts and systems.

The damages caused by Scheuer's actions were estimated to be in excess of $150,000. The FBI raided his house on September 23, 2023, seizing at least four computers, including those used for the malicious activities.

Initially, Scheuer denied any involvement or wrongdoing when questioned by the FBI, claiming that Disney was trying to frame him due to concerns about his termination. However, his defense has since crumbled as he pleaded guilty to the charges in January 2024.

Scheuer's lawyer, David Haas, claimed that his client had a disability that impacted his employment at Disney. According to Fox 35, Scheuer had a medical event that resulted in him being suspended, and Disney failed to respond to his inquiries about why he was suspended. His suspension was then inexplicably changed to termination.

"Disney refused to provide a response as to why he was fired and made no accommodations for him," Haas said. "He subsequently filed an EEOC complaint. I look forward to vigorously presenting my client's side of the story."

Scheuer is set to serve three years in federal prison, forfeit his computers, and pay $687,776.50 in restitution to the victims. His actions have left many wondering how such a serious breach of trust and public safety could occur within a reputable organization like Disney.