DeSantis-appointed Disney board scraps ‘illegal’ and ‘unamerican’ DEI efforts.

Governing Board ‍Announces Plans to Overhaul DEI Programs at ⁣Walt ⁢Disney World

The governing‍ board appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tasked with overseeing Walt Disney World and its affiliated properties announced ​plans on⁢ Tuesday to gut the district’s use of⁢ DEI programs.

“The ​so-called diversity, equity,⁣ and inclusion initiatives were ⁣advanced during‌ the‍ tenure of the previous board ⁤and they were illegal and simply unamerican,” Glenton Gilzean, director ⁢of the Central Florida⁢ Tourism Oversight⁢ District, said in a ⁤ statement. “Our district⁣ will no longer participate in ‍any attempt to divide us by race or ⁣advance the notion that we are not⁤ created equal.”

Rejecting ​Divisive Ideology

For context, DEI — which stands for diversity,⁢ equity, and inclusion — is ‍a divisive and poisonous ideology that dismisses merit to discriminate ​based ​on characteristics such as‍ skin color and sexual preference. Individuals who⁢ qualify for a ⁤certain ⁢position due to their merits but ⁤don’t meet the ⁣discriminating entity’s goal ⁢of being more “diverse” are passed⁢ over in ‍favor of those who meet the ⁢preferred identitarian standards.

In⁢ its Tuesday announcement, ⁢the oversight board further revealed an internal investigation ‌into the policies of its predecessor — ‍the Disney-appointed Reedy Creek Improvement District⁤ — found that the district⁢ “routinely awarded⁤ contracts based on racially and gender driven goals to businesses on the basis of their owners’ race and gender” and implemented quotas based on these⁤ factors “to ensure that contractors met ⁤a certain‌ threshold of diversity.” The use of​ such policies and‌ the district’s DEI committee⁢ will now be terminated, according to the board.

Dispute Between DeSantis and Disney

The ongoing‍ dispute between DeSantis and Disney started last year after the latter‍ launched a ‍grossly dishonest attack against state Republicans ⁤for passing a parental rights bill ​that prevents educators from instructing children in kindergarten through third grade on topics such as sexual ​orientation⁣ and so-called “gender identity.” Bending the knee to leftists —‍ who maliciously labeled the measure as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill — then-Disney CEO Bob Chapek parroted ‍ Democrats’⁢ lie⁤ that the law “could be​ used⁣ to target [LGBT] kids and families.”

He ​furthermore claimed the company would be “reassessing [its] approach⁤ to advocacy, including political giving in Florida and beyond.”

DeSantis Takes Action

In response, DeSantis and Florida Republicans passed legislation stripping⁤ Disney of its self-governing authority within the ‍Reedy Creek Improvement District. DeSantis later​ announced five new‍ appointees ‍to⁣ the district’s⁤ board in February, shortly⁤ after lawmakers advanced legislation renaming the jurisdiction to ‌the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.

As The Federalist’s Tristan Justice ⁤previously reported,⁤ the now-former supervisors running the then-Reedy Creek Improvement District ‍“signed an 11th-hour resolution ​ [in February] to hand Disney maximum authority over the company’s 27,000 acres in⁤ central Florida,” effectively leaving‍ “the DeSantis-appointed ⁤successors​ on the Central Florida Tourism‍ Oversight District board … powerless⁣ to govern Disney in their own state.”

According to a source‌ who previously⁤ spoke with The ⁣Federalist, ‍however, Disney’s attempted runaround “skipped key steps when amending its developmental agreement, ⁣rendering the resolution null​ and void.” This ⁢prompted DeSantis to order an investigation into the matter in April.

Several ⁤weeks ⁣after DeSantis’ order,‍ Disney filed a lawsuit in‌ federal court against​ the governor and state officials, alleging a “targeted campaign ‌of government retaliation” against the company ​for its opposition to ⁤the‍ Parental‌ Rights in Education bill. Meanwhile, the ⁢DeSantis-appointed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District “voted unanimously” to countersue in state court a few days later.

A state-level judge denied Disney’s motion to‍ dismiss‍ the board’s suit on Friday.

Shawn Fleetwood is a⁢ staff writer for⁣ The Federalist and⁤ a graduate of the University of ⁤Mary ‌Washington. He​ previously⁣ served as a state content writer for ‌Convention of States Action and his work has been featured‍ in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow ​him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood