The new district board that oversees Walt Disney World properties on Wednesday approved a whistleblower policy.
The policy, according to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, is intended to provide guidance to employees and other people with “knowledge of unlawful activity, misfeasance, or malfeasance by the district, its employees or its independent contractors.”
Martin Garcia. chairman of the district’s board, said the policy is based on staff members’ feedback that “their grievances or concerns or ideas were falling on deaf ears with respect to the prior board.”
Garcia added, “Hopefully, that sends a message that the culture here is — from the board’s perspective — we want to hear from you, good, bad and ugly, whatever it is.”
The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board this year replaced the former Reedy Creek Improvement District board.
The former Reedy Creek district was created in the 1960s and gave Disney self-governance power.
The state created the new board and renamed the Reedy Creek district amid a feud between Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney over the entertainment giant’s opposition to a 2022 law that restricts instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in schools — a law that supporters titled “Parental Rights in Education” but detractors called “don’t say gay.”
The changes have led to state and federal lawsuits.
©2023 The News Service of Florida
