He added, “I remain dedicated to the art of animation and inspired by the creative talent at Pixar and Disney.” 
 
 The accusations against Mr. Lasseter did not rise to the level of those against powerful Hollywood figures like Harvey Weinstein, who has been accused of severe sexual misconduct going back decades, and Bill Cosby, who was found guilty in April of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman. 
 
 But Mr. Lasseter’s sabbatical revealed other areas of concern. Disney conducted what it called a “day of listening” in February as part of an effort to improve the culture at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation. Multiple staff members told managers that Mr. Lasseter had become increasingly domineering, according to two people who work at the company, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the process was private. 
 
 The decision to part ways with Mr. Lasseter was a complicated one. 
 
 People in Mr. Lasseter’s camp contended that he had been unfairly swept up in the Time’s Up movement and that his behavior did not warrant his ouster. Allowing him to return to his old job, or at least a similar one, would prevent Wall Street from worrying about the health of Disney’s animation engines. It would also prevent Mr. Lasseter, an executive widely heralded as a creative genius, from going to work for a competitor. 
 
 But retaining Mr. Lasseter would have divided employees, leaving some women particularly unhappy. The tension was palpable at the “Incredibles 2” premiere. The insiders in attendance raucously cheered as credits for the principal creative team appeared on the screen. But the theater became noticeably quieter when Mr. Lasseter’s name appeared as an executive producer. 
 
 In recent weeks, a #LoseLasseter campaign had appeared on Twitter. 
 
 Pixar has been criticized over the years as a boy’s club. Women have produced Pixar hits, but only one of Pixar’s 20 feature films, “Brave,” has a credited female director. That woman, Brenda Chapman, was fired halfway through production after she clashed with Mr. Lasseter. Ms. Chapman subsequently joined DreamWorks Animation, telling The New York Times in 2013 that “you can butt heads here and not be punished for it, unlike at another place I could name.” 
 
 Mr. Lasseter’s supporters have pointed out that he hired Ms. Lee as a director of “Frozen,” which was praised for its departure from Disney’s romantic “princess” formula. She is now working on “Frozen 2,” which is set for release in November 2019. Pixar has also started to focus more on female lead characters, including Joy in “Inside Out” and Dory the forgetful fish in “Finding Dory.” ||||| UPDATED with a statement from Women in Animation. 
 
 The Walt Disney Co.’s decision Friday to part ways with Pixar co-founder John Lasseter ends months of speculation about whether he would return to the two animation studios that thrived under his creative influence, but came without acknowledging the “misdeeds” that led to his abrupt departure on sabbatical over six months ago. 
 
 Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger issued a statement lauding Lasseter for reinventing animation, taking “breathtaking risks,” telling original stories and for revitalizing The Walt Disney Animation Studio. He was silent on the reason for the chief creative officer’s exit. 
 
 Lasseter, who was the creative force behind such billion-dollar franchises as Toy Story and Cars, had been accused of unwanted physical contact with female subordinates — from the “hugs” he acknowledged in a statement of contrition last fall to darker accounts of unsolicited kisses and groping that sources confided to Deadline. Disney placed Lasseter on sabbatical in November after he admitting to vague “missteps.” 
 
 Disney, which acted decisively in the case of Roseanne Barr’s racist tweet, reportedly spent months evaluating the claims against Lasseter. In February, Walt Disney Animation Studios held a “day of listening” to allow the animation staff to air workplace concerns. 
 
 As recently as last month, sources floated the possibility of Lasseter returning to Disney in a role that would retain his creative input but limit his managerial responsibilities. 
 
 But one well-placed source told Deadline there was a gathering sense that the employees didn’t really want Lasseter to return. Some even threatened to quit, according to another person familiar with the matter. Indeed, some in the animation community started a #LoseLasseter campaign on social media and launched a petition on Change.org demanding his ouster. 
 
 “If Lasseter is allowed to return, it is not only an insult to the current contributions of hundreds of employees that contribute more to the company’s success, but also will demonstrate that such behavior will be tolerated by Disney-Pixar,” Animation Heroine wrote in a Change.org petition that has attracted 68 signatures. “Lasseter’s return would be a direct dismissal of those he has hurt, and his continued presence would contribute to an unsafe environment of mistrust.” 
 
 Women in Animation President Marge Dean said the world changed last fall because courageous women spoke up. 
 
 “‘Misconduct’ is no longer tolerated in the work place and the safety of all employees has become a priority for our industry,” Dean said. “Women in Animation supports and celebrates that change with the expectation that it will encourage retention of women in the animation workforce.” 
 
 Lasseter will serve in a consulting role at Disney throughout the end of the year, after which time he’ll look for something new. His attorney did not respond to requests for comment. 
 
 “The last six months have provided an opportunity to reflect on my life, career and personal priorities,” Lasseter said in a statement. “While I remain dedicated to the art of animation and inspired by the creative talent at Pixar and Disney, I have decided the end of this year is the right time to begin focusing on new creative challenges.” 
 
 Insiders say expect Frozen director Jennifer Lee to be promoted at Walt Disney Animation, and Pete Docter, director of films Up and Monsters, Inc., to take on greater responsibilities at Pixar. That scenario was first reported by The New York Times. 
 
 On the heels of the corporate drama, Pixar’s Incredibles 2 opens next weekend. ||||| In interviews with The Times, nine former Pixar employees described an ingrained culture that makes it difficult for female employees to thrive, in addition to being a place where crude remarks about women and inappropriate touching occurred. They said the studio has perpetuated a system in which the company's creative leaders, who are mainly men, are treated as royalty and are protected at all costs. The former female employees were animators, story managers, storyboard artists, directors' assistants and others who worked at Pixar over the last decade and who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals. ||||| “The last six months have provided an opportunity to reflect on my life, career and personal priorities,” Lasseter said in a statement. “While I remain dedicated to the art of animation and inspired by the creative talent at Pixar and Disney, I have decided the end of this year is the right time to begin focusing on new creative challenges. I am extremely proud of what two of the most important and prolific animation studios have achieved under my leadership and I’m grateful for all of the opportunities to follow my creative passion at Disney.”
– The man who co-founded Pixar and is seen as the creative force behind blockbusters such as the Toy Story and Cars franchises will soon be out of a job at Disney. John Lasseter, 61, has been on leave from parent company Disney since November after allegations of improper workplace behavior surfaced, including his propensity to wrap up everyone he meets in long bear hugs. Disney announced Friday that Lasseter—who previously acknowledged and apologized for his "missteps"—will shift into a vague consulting role through the end of the year and then depart for good, reports the New York Times. Disney execs were wrestling for months with whether to allow Lasseter to return, but Deadline reports on a "gathering sense" among employees that he would not have been welcome. Disney chief Bob Iger issued a statement that praised Lasseter for "reinventing the animation business, taking breathtaking risks, and telling original, high quality stories that will last forever,” and Lasseter issued one of his own thanking Disney and saying he's "extremely proud" of his work but that it's time to move on. Despite the positive public comments, the move amounts to what the Los Angeles Times describes as "a dramatic unraveling of one of the most storied careers in animation." The story notes that hugs were just a part of the problem, with female employees at Pixar alleging that Lasseter and other senior execs turned a blind eye to a corporate culture rife with crude jokes and inappropriate touching. (Actress and screenwriter Rashida Jones left Toy Story 4 and complained about Pixar's unequal treatment of women.)