A federal judge has dismissed Disney's lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, which dealt with free speech issues. This decision means that Disney's chances of regaining control of the district governing Walt Disney World now rests on a separate state court challenge.
In his ruling, US District Judge Allen Winsor of Tallahassee stated that Disney did not have the legal right to bring a First Amendment lawsuit against the Republican governor, the secretary of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, and DeSantis' appointees to the Disney World governing district.
The separate lawsuit is currently awaiting a decision in state court in Orlando, as per AP News.
Disney Loses Lawsuit Against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
Disney contended that the legislation signed by DeSantis and approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature, which shifted control of the Disney World governing district from Disney supporters to DeSantis appointees, was a response to the company's public opposition to the state's controversial "don't say gay" law.
The 2022 law, which prohibited teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades, was strongly supported by DeSantis, who recently halted his campaign for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
For over five decades, the district, responsible for municipal services like firefighting, planning, and mosquito control, had been under the control of Disney supporters since its creation by the Legislature in 1967.
In his decision, Winsor, who was appointed to the bench by President Donald Trump in 2019, stated that Disney lacked the legal standing to sue the governor or agency secretary. This was because DeSantis had already selected the appointees to the board of the governing district.
When evaluating the claim against the DeSantis appointees to the district's board, Winsor concluded that if a law is constitutional on its face, plaintiffs cannot challenge it on the grounds of free speech, solely based on their belief that lawmakers had unconstitutional motives.
DeSantis's Authority Expands
The recently dismissed lawsuit, initiated by Disney following DeSantis' signing of a bill that granted him additional authority over the 47-square-mile district housing Walt Disney World Resort, was merely one episode in the ongoing legal and political clash between Disney and DeSantis.
Disney once had control over the area surrounding its theme parks, but that changed when DeSantis' bill was passed. The bill created the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, which is now managed by a group of individuals chosen by the governor.
The board has expressed the possibility of increasing taxes, raising utility rates, and exploring development opportunities around the entertainment giant's Central Florida theme parks.
The dispute between Disney and Florida's Republican governor started almost two years ago when Disney publicly opposed a bill supported by DeSantis, which prohibited certain teachings on sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida schools.
The bill, referred to as the "Don't Say Gay" bill by critics, was strongly criticized by Disney's then-CEO, Bob Chapek, who described it as a threat to fundamental human rights. In the lawsuit filed in April, Disney alleged that DeSantis and the oversight board were retaliating against the company for expressing opposition to DeSantis' bill.
According to DeSantis' press secretary Jeremy Redfern, the governor's office was not caught off guard by the dismissal of Disney's lawsuit, as stated in a comment to CNN.
The judge's dismissal did not mark the resolution of the legal disagreements between DeSantis and Disney. Disney has the option to appeal the dismissal, and in May, the oversight board supported by DeSantis filed a lawsuit against Disney in state court.
