On Wednesday, a federal judge tossed Disney’s lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) that accused him and other officials of unconstitutionally retaliating against the company for political reasons.
U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor, an appointee of former President Trump, ruled Disney lacked legal standing to sue DeSantis and the company’s free speech claim also lacked merit.
The drawn-out dispute between Disney and DeSantis’ administration began after the company criticized Florida’s 2022 Parental Rights in Education Act. The law barred public schools from having “classroom discussion” or giving “classroom instruction” about sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third-grade classrooms. (RELATED: Report: Disney Sues Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis)
Opponents of the law immediately criticized it as the “don’t say gay” law, and Disney weighed in with a statement saying it “should never have passed and should never have been signed into law.” The company added, “Our goal as a company is for this law to be struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that.”
Following Disney’s criticism, DeSantis and the Florida legislature moved to strip Disney’s self-governing authority over what was then known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID). The RCID had authority similar to a county government and was controlled by Disney, giving it virtual autonomy over theme parks like the Walt Disney World Resort. (RELATED: Florida Governor Signs Bill Revoking Disney’s Self-governing Status)
Disney then sued DeSantis, Florida’s commerce secretary and the members of the new board, accusing them of politically retaliating against the company in violation of Disney’s free speech rights.
“Disney has not alleged any specific actions the new board took (or will take) because of the Governor’s alleged control,” Winsor wrote in his 17-page ruling.
“In fact, Disney has not alleged any specific injury from any board action,” he continued. “Its alleged injury, as discussed above, is its operating under a board it cannot control. That injury would exist whether or not the Governor controlled the board, meaning an injunction precluding the Governor from influencing the board would not redress Disney’s asserted injury.”
A Disney spokesperson told FOX Business in a statement: “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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