BREAKING: Judge Dismisses Disney’s Federal Lawsuit Against Gov. DeSantis

Disney4me · January 31, 2024

The drama between the Walt Disney Company and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis continues.

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Disney World entrance sign

The feud goes back to when Disney made statements against Florida’s Rights in Education law (called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by critics). After that, DeSantis and Florida legislators dissolved Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District and replaced it with a new board that has made some controversial changes to the District since its installment. Disney fought back by filing a lawsuit in federal court, claiming that DeSantis’s motives were retaliatory against the company. Well, a federal judge has dismissed that lawsuit.

Although Disney claimed in the lawsuit that DeSantis was running a “relentless campaign to weaponize government power” against the Disney Company, DeSantis asked a federal judge to throw out the lawsuit. Bloomberg reports that US District Judge Allen Winsor has granted the Florida Governor’s motion to dismiss Disney’s lawsuit.

Reedy Creek

This ruling is a big setback for Disney in its ongoing battle with DeSantis. Disney also recently filed a suit against the new Reedy Creek board, now called the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Committee, claiming that the board failed to provide public records requested by Disney in May 2023. Withholding public records goes against both Florida and federal law.

©Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board

Meanwhile, Florida state legislators have voted in favor of a bill that would reverse DeSantis’s takeover of the Reedy Creek Improvement District. In the meantime, recent reports have called the new board dysfunctional with a number of employees leaving the district at a rapid pace. After those reports came out, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District canceled its final meeting of 2023.

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Disney vs. DeSantis

However, a report released by the new board accused Disney of bribery and “egregious corporate cronyism” when it still controlled the district for previous perks offered to employees of the district, like park tickets and discounts. As we said, the situation is ongoing.

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Cinderella Castle

According to NBC, a Disney spokesperson released a statement following the ruling — you can read it below:

“This is an important case with serious implications for the rule of law, and it will not end here. If left unchallenged, this would set a dangerous precedent and give license to states to weaponize their official powers to punish the expression of political viewpoints they disagree with. We are determined to press forward with our case.”

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With that statement, it sounds like Disney plans to appeal this latest decision, though, and we’ll certainly be keeping an eye on it to keep you updated. So stay tuned to DFB for more.