Geoff Morrell, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at The Walt Disney Company, is calling it quits after just three months on the job during which Disney took significant hits for its embrace of woke ideologies and decision to vocally oppose a parental rights law in Florida where Walt Disney World is located. That showdown saw the Sunshine State's legislature pass a bill to strip Disney World of its special district status that allowed the park to enjoy autonomy since the 1960s.
According to Variety, Morrell and embattled Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Chapek made the announcement via email on Friday that explained Morrell was leaving "to pursue other opportunities."
Morrell, ousted after less than four months on the job, joined Disney in January from a post as the executive vice president of communications and advocacy at oil and gas company BP. But the transition was bumpy, coinciding with a bruising period in which Disney CEO Bob Chapek was faulted for his stumbling response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” laws. Disney said Morell is “leaving the company to pursue other opportunities.”Disney tried to play both sides when it came to parental rights legislation in Florida, initially remaining out of the conversation that saw opponents of the measure falsely label the policy as a "don't say gay" bill, but after the loud woke minority lashed out at Disney for remaining silent (to the left, silence = violence, or whatever) they began publicly opposing the bill.
Their opposition was too little, too late though and Governor Ron DeSantis signed the parental rights bill into law. Disney then pledged to continue its opposition to the policy and push for its reversal, which then caused Florida to add a special legislative session measure to revoke the special district surrounding Walt Disney World that allowed the park to be mostly autonomous.
Disney again attempted to oppose the legislation and ex-Vice President Kamala Harris staffer Symone Sanders declared confidently that her money was on Disney's lobbyists against Florida's legislature. She was wrong, Florida's House and Senate passed the bill handily while Democrat legislators literally screamed in opposition and Governor DeSantis signed the measure into law.
Disney's back-to-back losses to Florida's government meant that those running Disney's government affairs and public policy efforts were...not having a great time. And now, on the heels of all that, its chief corporate affairs officer is headed for the exits after just about one quarter in the position.
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