Disney's chief corporate affairs officer, Morrell, leaving the company

[April 30, 2022]   By Dawn Chmielewski and Lisa Richwine
 
(Reuters) -Walt Disney Co's head of corporate affairs, Geoff Morrell, is leaving the company three months after joining from oil and energy company BP Plc, according to an email on Friday from Chief Executive Officer Bob Chapek.

A screen shows the logo and a ticker symbol for The Walt Disney Company on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., December 14, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Morrell's brief tenure has been marked by controversy over the company's handling of Florida’s law barring classroom instruction of sexual orientation and gender identity for some students.

"It has become clear to me that for a number of reasons it is not the right fit," Morrell wrote in a separate email to his staff. "I have decided to leave the company to pursue other opportunities."

Both emails were seen by Reuters.

Disney became the focus of criticism for failing to speak out publicly against the legislation, which critics call the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Chapek later voiced disappointment with the measure and apologized to his LGBTQ employees for failing to be a "stronger ally in the fight for equal rights."

That spurred condemnation from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who on April 22 signed into law a bill that strips Disney of self-governing authority at its Orlando-area parks in retaliation for its opposition to a new law that limits the teaching of LGBTQ issues in schools.

(Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski and Lisa Richwine in Los AngelesEditing by Chris Reese and Matthew Lewis)

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