If you thought you’d heard the end of Disney’s federal lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, you would be wrong.
Cinderella Castle
A while back, Disney made statements against Florida’s Rights in Education law (called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by critics). Shortly after, DeSantis and Florida legislators dissolved Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District — replacing it with a new, DeSantis-appointed board that has made controversial changes to the District. A federal judge recently dismissed the case, but now, Disney has appealed.
The Walt Disney Company has appealed a federal judge’s decision to dismiss the lawsuit against Governor DeSantis and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
©Disney | Walt Disney Company Headquarters
The notice of appeal was filed on February 1st, just one day after the judge’s decision came down. US District Court Judge Allen Winsor said that Disney’s free-speech suit against DeSantis “lacked merit and standing.”
He continued that while Disney did appear to be harmed by the changes, it could not prove the harm “was a direct result of any actions by the state or governor.”
©Governor Ron DeSantis Website
In response, Disney shared a statement indicating they might appeal, and now they officially have.
“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.”
Disney vs. DeSantis
At a news conference in Tallahassee, Florida’s state capital, DeSantis stated he was “shocked” that Disney planned to appeal the judge’s ruling and said:
“We knew that the Legislature had authority to do it, I had the authority to sign the legislation as we did, and I would like to see an accounting from some of the people who last year were trying to say that somehow Disney had outmaneuvered Florida, or that somehow they were in the right on all this. You heard a lot of squawking when they were able to use it to try to attack Florida or try to attack me. I don’t hear very much now that the case was summarily dismissed. I mean, they don’t have a case.”
©Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board Livestream
As of now, Disney has not made any further comments about the appeal. Stay tuned to DFB as we bring you the latest updates on this lawsuit and more Disney news.
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I see this case going all the way to the SCOTUS, as this is clearly as violation of Disney’s 1st Amendment violations. It is Disney vs Fascism.
Disney needs to just take their loss gracefully and get on with things. Give their attention to where it’s needed most. Work on the parks and hotels and try to win back all those you’ve alienated. A good portion of the population have lost their respect for you. Good luck on getting it back.
Good! You can’t allow fascism to win in America. DeSantis’ ego needs to be checked.
I’m glad they’re not backing down. This was clearly retaliatory. I have no idea what the judge was thinking.
An equal portion of the population has great respect for Disney – not just for their support of the LGBT community but for standing up to that fascist bully Desantis. Hopefully his career ends up in the dustbin of history.