The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, which oversees the Walt Disney World area, announced its decision to eliminate all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs deemed discriminatory.
The district, controlled by a group of appointees of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, reported in a statement that the DEI programs cost taxpayers millions of dollars and also discriminated against Americans.
"The so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives were advanced during the tenure of the previous board and they were illegal and simply unamerican," said district trustee Glenton Gilzean.
Gilzean explained that this decision came shortly after an internal investigation into the district's policies was conducted, and it was discovered that the Reedy Creek Improvement District instituted gender and race quotas for contractors to reach a certain level of "diversity."
"In order to meet these quotas, it is estimated that the district had to pay millions of dollars more in order to find businesses who could comply," the release notes, highlighting that this will no longer occur because the district's DEI committee will be dissolved, as well as all of its labor obligations.
"Our district will no longer participate in any attempt to divide us by race or advance the notion that we are not created equal. As the former head of the Central Florida Urban League, a civil rights organization, I can say definitively that our community thrives only when we work together despite our differences," Gilzean said.
The tourism board appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to oversee Disney World and its complex announced that it will abolish all of its efforts to pursue diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. https://t.co/DMZGI4JkPH
— The Hill (@thehill) August 1, 2023
Dispute between DeSantis and Disney
DeSantis decided to replace the district members that govern Walt Disney World, which the entertainment company itself had appointed, and in retaliation, Disney sued the state.
The governor has already attempted to dismiss the complaint by filing a motion. However, Disney does not seem ready to throw in the towel and insists on continuing the legal battle to recover the district.
