Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Disney have been butting heads for a while now in a conflict that initially began when Disney opposed Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law, commonly called the “Don’t Say Gay” law by critics.
Disney vs. DeSantis
DeSantis took over the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which provides services to Disney World, and re-named it the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD), appointing a new board and adjusting policies. The new district has been under criticism lately, with over 30 employees resigning and some calling the district “unqualified and incompetent.” Following those allegations, four employees have been fired.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, DeSantis’ Disney World oversight district has fired two senior staffers and two other employees.
©Central Florida Tourism Oversight District
The employees who were fired include Eryka Washington Perry, director of communications, and Jason Middleton, chief of human resources, along with an administrative assistant and facilities maintenance specialist. The Sentinel cites an internal email that they obtained as the source of the information.
Both Washington Perry and Middleton had been hired by the Reedy Creek Improvement District before DeSantis took over.
Reedy Creek Improvement District
In the internal email, administrator Glen Gilzean said, “These separations were isolated and specific and are not representative of our team members who show up every day with excellence and a clear vision of a stronger tomorrow for our taxpayers and visitors.”
Since the change from Reedy Creek to the CFTOD, over 40 of the district’s employees have retired or resigned. Among the group of around 30 who left in late October was nearly half of the senior leadership team. In exit surveys available through public records, departing employees called leadership “unqualified and incompetent,” and said that “with the departure of more than 3 dozen employees, the district is no longer functional.”
Reedy Creek Building
Disney is suing Gov. DeSantis in federal court, and the district is suing Disney in state court.
We’ll continue to watch for more updates, so stay tuned to DFB for the latest news.
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So basically those who didn’t already resign get terminated if they speak their minds and don’t blindly follow the little dictator and his appointed goons. It’s sad that a once impressive district like RCID has now become a disgrace.
The DeSantis clown car installed at Disney World. Free speech and free enterprise are a thing of the past in Florida .