LOS ANGELES — A woman's lawsuit against the Walt Disney Co., in which she alleges she was wrongfully fired in 2023 for having her cellphone turned on while working in Disneyland's Fantasyland in case her mentally disabled son had an emergency, has been transferred to Orange County.

During a hearing Wednesday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Christopher K. Lui granted Disney's change-of-venue motion, finding that plaintiff Jody Hunter-Deno's case belongs in the county where the Anaheim theme park is located.

"Proper venue lies in Orange County," a minute order prepared by the judge's clerk stated.

In their court papers arguing in favor of the transfer, Disney attorneys stated that the move was proper because the alleged events that brought about the filing of the suit occurred in Orange County and all relevant records and witnesses also are located there. Hunter-Deno's lawyers countered in their pleadings that Disney's principal place of business is in Burbank in Los Angeles County and that the decision to fire her was made there.

Hunter-Deno's lawsuit allegations include wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation, failure to engage in the interactive process. She was hired in February 2011 as a Fantasyland Park operator. Two years earlier, her son was diagnosed with mental disabilities and the plaintiff has been his ongoing primary caretaker.

Hunter-Deno was given intermittent family leave to take care of her son in September 2023 and enabled her to go to his aid quickly if necessary, the suit filed Jan. 22 states.

Hunter-Deno's son worked for Disney in August and September, 2022, and the plaintiff was notified when her son had an aggressive outburst while on the job, the suit states. Hunter-Deno told one of the Fantasyland managers that her son had psychological issues and that she needed to have her phone turned on so she could monitor his condition and respond to an emergency, the suit states.

However, in December 2023 management asked Hunter-Deno about her phone, which she reiterated that she kept turned on in case her son needed her, according to the suit, which also states that she explained to supervisors that she only checked her notifications during breaks and not while she was operating Fantasyland rides.

Nonetheless, the first Fantasyland manager Hunter-Deno said she had spoken to after her son's outburst denied knowing anything about the boy's condition and told her she had violated the park's phone policy by having the device turned on, the suit states. Another manager present suspended Hunter-Deno was the plaintiff was subsequently fired, the suit states.