Recently, The Walt Disney Company announced that its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) standards are changing.

The company sent a note to employees on February 11th from chief human resources officer Sonia Coleman that outlined how the company’s DEI standards would change. As a result, some of Disney’s staff have commented on their dissent against the changes, according to Deadline.

Deadline pointed out that these changes seem to bend to an anti-DEI policy supported by current U.S. President Donald Trump. The Trump administration has pushed to end DEI initiatives at companies across the country and contributed to efforts to defund and ban these programs in the federal government. A memo sent by Coleman explained that the changes lined up with Disney’s “business goals and company values.”

One staff member called out Disney’s DEI changes, stating, “It’s like Chapek on steroids!” This is in reference to the 2022 incident when Disney’s CEO Bob Chapek was criticized when facing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
over the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act. At first, Chapek didn’t comment on the new law, which was then in the process of being voted on, but then came out against it after employee outrage and pushback. This resulted in a series of events that led to lawsuits and the dissolution of the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

This walkback of DEI standards at the company sparked new comments from Disney employees. An insider asked, “What’s next? Where do we go from here? What do we stand for now, keeping MAGA happy?” Then they added, “This is not what I expected from Bob — I thought he had our back,” according to Deadline.

Another Disney staff member said they were embarassed over the public apology and the $15 million Disney paid to Trump’s presidential foundation and museum as part of a settlement in the Trump’s defamation lawsuit against ABC. Other employees cited the removal of a transgender storyline from an upcoming Pixar series on Disney+, Win or Lose.

Deadline reports that many Disney insiders are frustrated that the company seems more concerned with winning over conservatives rather than taking a stand on issues. When Iger was previously CEO of Disney, he canceled a highly-rated TV series, Roseanne, after its star made racist tweets.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on the situation and reporting back anything new that comes up. So stay tuned to DFB for more.

 3 Game-Changing Updates Announced for Disney

The post “It’s Like Chapek on Steroids!” Disney Insiders React to DEI Standards Changes in Company first appeared on the disney food blog.