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Walt Disney corporate affairs chief, Geoff Morell, is quitting his new position with the woke company just three months after taking it amid cratering share prices in the wake of its opposition to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “Parental Rights in Education” law.
“After three months in this new role, it has become clear to me that for a number of reasons it is not the right fit,” Morrell reportedly wrote in an email, according to the Daily Mail. “After talking this over with Bob, I have decided to leave the company to pursue other opportunities.”
Disney CEO Bob Chapek broke the news in a separate email to the company’s employees, according to Deadline, stating, “I am writing to share the news that Geoff Morrell, our Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities. Fortunately, the strength and experience of our existing leadership team—including relatively new all-star hires—means there is no shortage of talent to guide our reputation-driving functions.”
Morrell previously served as Pentagon press secretary under former President George Bush and former President Barack Obama before joining BP America as its head of communications in 2011.
Unsurprising news: Disney’s top spokesman Geoff Morell is exiting just a few months after joining from BP. He was an architect of the failed Florida strategy.
— Matthew Belloni (@MattBelloni) April 29, 2022
Other changes were announced by Chapek as well. The company’s communication efforts will now be led by Kristina Schake who was the head of President Joe Biden’s vaccine education program as well as communications for Instagram. She also worked in the Obama administration.
And it looks like his replacement might be even more polarizing… pic.twitter.com/Bt1DDsbfel
— Wetboy Slim (@wetboyslim) April 29, 2022
STILL WOKE AS EVER. Schake joined Disney in April, and was previously deputy communications director for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. She also served in the Obama and Biden administrations.
— 5th Gen American (@iluvbkk) April 30, 2022
Government relations and global public policy will be led by Disney’s general counsel, Horacio Gutierrez.
Morell’s abrupt departure follows the blowup at the company over the misnomered “Don’t Say Gay” bill being signed into law by DeSantis as well as massive protests and outrage by parents over Disney’s woke ideology.
Get Woke. Go Broke.
— Omar Comin Yo (@Pitzification) April 29, 2022
The “Parental Rights in Education” bill bans inappropriate sexually explicit topics from being taught to kindergarten through third-grade students. That includes sexual orientation and gender identity issues.
Disney’s shares have plummeted since the debacle. Others may follow Morell out the door over the heated political debate and stance of the company.
First of many. Alienate your customers to appease a fractional fringe minority. CEO will be next. One of the dumbest moves in history. But hey China is still there for you
— Nick M (@NickM1761) April 30, 2022
The parental rights bill was signed into law on March 28. Disney was quick to issue a statement proclaiming that it “should never have passed” and said that it should be immediately repealed.
Today, I signed HB 1557, the Parental Rights in Education Act, into law.
It ensures parents can send their kids to kindergarten without gender ideology being injected into instruction and they will be notified and have the right to decline healthcare services offered at schools. pic.twitter.com/OLnW2GLrJl
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 28, 2022
Chapek has vowed to halt all of Disney’s political donations in Florida and increase its support for advocacy groups “to combat similar legislation in other states.”
The company has not issued a statement on the new law yet, which would take effect on June 1, 2023.
The whole communication team should have been fired The moment Disney communicated that they want to indoctrinate kids in radical gender ideology.
— Ranting Ryan (@ryan_ranting) April 29, 2022
“You’re a corporation based in Burbank, California, and you’re gonna marshal your economic might to attack the parents of my state,” an infuriated DeSantis said Friday after signing the bill, according to the Daily Mail. “We view that as a provocation, and we’re going to fight back against that.”
The Florida governor also stripped Disney of its 55-year-old Reedy Creek special privileges that effectively allowed it to self-govern. The move leveled the playing field in Florida for other competitors and it’s expected to have huge tax implications for Disney.
In addition to congressional reapportionment, this week's special session will include termination of legacy special districts and removal of exemptions from the big tech accountability law. pic.twitter.com/67sF4E113I
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) April 19, 2022
Disney is fighting the move in court, noting in a statement that reminds investors of an obscure provision in the 1967 law that bars the state from revoking the company’s special privileges.
The statement refers to the state’s “pledge” to “not limit or alter the rights of the District … until all such bonds together with interest … are fully met and discharged.”
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