DISNEY RESPONDS TO UNIVERSITY'S REQUEST FOR 'GLORY ROAD' APOLOGY

For Immediate Release/02-15-06/Lorraine Pace

COMMERCE, Texas - Walt Disney Studios has faxed a letter to Texas A&M University-Commerce in response to the university's request for an apology from Walt Disney Co. and the makers of the movie "Glory Road" for inaccurately linking A&M-Commerce to racially charged scenes.

An excerpt from the Disney communication, signed by Richard Cook, chair of Walt Disney Studios, states: "Since "Glory Road" is not a documentary, it was sometimes necessary to consolidate events in order to convey the life and times of the story in a roughly two hour period.

"It was never the intention of Walt Disney Pictures or the "Glory Road" filmmakers to unfairly depict any particular group, individuals, community, or institution and we regret any misunderstanding this might have caused."

A&M-Commerce President Keith McFarland is not satisfied with the response.

"It appears," says McFarland, "as if the six individuals that we contacted chose to let Richard Cook, chair of The Walt Disney Studios, respond for all of them.

"To me it reads more like an explanation and justification than an apology. Our institution and community were specifically singled out in a very negative way in the movie; therefore, to maintain the filmmakers had no intention of unfairly depicting any particular group or institution seems to be a contradiction in what the filmmakers actually did, and what Cook says they did."


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