DeSantis Board Goes Full ‘Anti-Woke,’ Abolishes DEI And Race-Based Programs

It’s been quite the week for the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. At its meeting last Tuesday, the Board appointed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said it would be cutting the mil rate within the District to help lower property taxes, a move that would presumably save Disney World money.

But at that very same meeting, the Board also announced that it was cutting $8 million that Disney World used to hire off-duty police officers to help keep the district safe. In doing so, the Board noted that none of the other businesses in the District used those funds for extra security.

Related: Disney World Just Got Less Safe. DeSantis’ Board Defunding the Police

And now, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District is attempting to strip away any remaining vestige of the Reedy Creek Improvement District and take the District in a decidedly right-leaning direction. Today, the DeSantis. Appointees announced they would abolish its diversity, equity, inclusion programs, and race-based hiring practices.

Glenton Gilzean, who is the Director of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, made that announcement today, reversing programs that had been in place under the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

Gilzean said:

The so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives were advanced during the tenure of the previous board and they were illegal and simply unAmerican. Our district will no longer participate in any attempt to divide us by race or advance the notion that we are not created equal.

Related: Funny Story, DeSantis’ Disney Laws May Be Unconstitutional

The Reedy Creek Improvement District instituted “Minority/Women Business Enterprise and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise” programs to ensure contractors met a certain diversity threshold. The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District found that the Disney Board “routinely awarded contracts based on racially and gender driven goals to businesses on the basis of their owners’ race and gender.”

In early 2022, Florida Gov Ron DeSantis signed the “Stop WOKE Act,” which effectively banned employers from instituting diversity training; however, the law was placed on hold by a Federal Judge while a case challenging its Constitutionality is making its way through the court system.

The “Stop Woke Act” also banned DEI programs and critical race theory at higher education universities and state colleges throughout Florida.

This comes as Walt Disney World lost its opening round court battle against the DeSantis’ appointees. Disney argued that a lawsuit brought by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District was redundant as the Florida Legislature and Gov DeSantis had already passed a law voiding any contracts Disney World had with the previous Board. A Judge ruled that the case should move forward. Disney has 20 days to respond.

This decree by the CFTOD means that Disney World can no longer promote equity initiatives, diversity programs, or race-based hiring unless they would like another court case.

We will continue to update this story at Disney Fanatic.