Disney Will Appeal Yesterday’s Dismissal of Its Ron DeSantis Lawsuit
Following yesterday’s dismissal of their First Amendment lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, The Walt Disney Company vowed that the battle would “not end here.”
Less than 24 hours after the ruling, Disney has given official notice that they plan to appeal Judge Winsor’s ruling.
“Notice is given that Plaintiff Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, U.S., Inc. (“Disney”) hereby appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit from the Order Granting Motions to Dismiss and the final judgment entered by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida on January 31, 2024,” the company wrote in a filing this morning.
How We Got Here
Disney was suing DeSantis and his Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) allies over the dissolution of the Disney-controlled Reedy Creek Improvement District.
In their suit, Disney argued that DeSantis and his allies dissolved Reedy Creek in retribution for the company speaking out against Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill, which critics have dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.”
DeSantis had his team have argued that the dissolution of Reedy Creek was about reform, not retaliation. Additionally, DeSantis argued that he was protected from suit by the 11th Amendment.
Judge Winsor Sided With DeSantis
In his ruling yesterday, Judge Winsor sided with DeSantis and the CFTOD, adjudicating that Disney lacked standing to sue DeSantis and that the company’s suit against the CFTOD failed on merit.
“In short, Disney lacks standing to sue the Governor or the Secretary, and its claims against the CFTOD Defendants fail on the merits because when a statute is facially constitutional, a plaintiff cannot bring a free-speech challenge by claiming that the lawmakers who passed it acted with a constitutionally impermissible purpose,” he wrote.
While yesterday was clearly a setback for Disney, the battle is seemingly far from over.
As always, be sure to check back with MickeyBlog. We will continue to bring you updates on any news in the battle between The Walt Disney Company and Ron DeSantis as it breaks.
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