Judge Denies Disney’s Motion to Dismiss Lawsuit Brought by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Appointees
In a ruling made on Friday, July 28, a judge in Florida has refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ appointees against Disney. The lawsuit alleges that Disney’s actions to neutralize DeSantis’ takeover of Disney World’s governing district were wrongful.
The lawsuit claims that Disney stripped appointees of their powers over design and construction at Disney World when it made agreements with the previous governing board, who were supporters of the company. The case is one of two lawsuits arising from the takeover, which was in response to Disney’s public opposition to the “Don’t Say Gay” legislation supported by DeSantis and Republican lawmakers.
In the second lawsuit, filed in federal court in Tallahassee, Disney argues that DeSantis violated the company’s free speech rights. The ongoing feud between DeSantis and Disney has been a prominent topic in the governor’s bid for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, with DeSantis often accusing the entertainment giant of being too “woke.” On the other hand, Disney has accused the governor of violating its First Amendment rights.
Disney’s attorneys argued that any decision made in the state court would be irrelevant since the Republican-controlled Legislature has already passed a law that nullifies the previous agreements made by Disney with the prior governing board. Disney requested that the state court case be put on hold until the federal lawsuit in Tallahassee is resolved, as both cases cover the same ground and the federal lawsuit was filed first.
In the federal lawsuit, Disney sued DeSantis and his appointees to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, aiming to stop the takeover, claiming that the governor was infringing on the company’s free speech and “weaponizing the power of government to punish private business.” Governor DeSantis is not directly involved in the state court lawsuit.
The dispute between DeSantis and Disney began last year when Disney publicly opposed a state law banning classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades, known as the “Don’t Say Gay” policy. As a consequence, DeSantis took over the district through legislation passed by Florida lawmakers and appointed a new board of supervisors to oversee the municipal services for Disney World.
Before the new board came into place, Disney had made agreements with previous oversight board members who were Disney supporters, which removed the new supervisors’ authority over design and construction. In response, DeSantis and Florida lawmakers passed legislation to repeal those agreements.
In May, Disney announced its decision to cancel plans for a $1 billion campus and the relocation of 2,000 employees from Southern California to central Florida. The proposed campus, which aimed to focus on digital technology, finance, and product development, was planned to be located around 20 miles from the Walt Disney World theme park resort.
