BREAKING: Disney Agrees to Settle Lawsuit Against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
As of Wednesday, March 27th, 2024, The Walt Disney Company has agreed to drop its lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in a major win for the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
The settlement agreement includes Disney acknowledging that the eleventh-hour deals it made with the outgoing Reedy Creek Improvement District are now null and void.
Disney Feud
DeSantis’s war with Disney escalated after Bob Chapek publicly spoke out against the governor’s policies on education, gender identity, and sexual orientation teaching practices.
DeSantis pushed back against the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies put in place by Disney and began stripping the massive company of its powers in Florida after Chapek’s statements.
DeSantis’s actions included ending the board that gave Disney benefits that other companies in Florida did not receive.
In February 2023, DeSantis established the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) as the replacement for Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District.
This essentially ended a slew of tax breaks and powers The Walt Disney Company held in the state.
Hours before the CFTOD took over, Disney entered into last-minute agreements with the Reedy Creek board to try and stop the new board from enforcing new powers over the area.
Null and Void
The members of the board of the CFTOD approved the settlement agreement, ending almost two years of litigation and Disney acknowledged the Development Agreement is “null and void” and has “no legal effect or enforceability.”
“We are glad that Disney has dropped its lawsuits against the new Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and conceded that their last-minute development agreements are null, void, and unenforceable,” DeSantis’s Communications Director, Bryan Griffin shared.
DeSantis’s office also confirmed that the agreement on Wednesday officially ends the legal fight between Disney and the Florida governor and establishes a future “even playing field.”
UPDATE: The President of Walt Disney World Resort, Jeff Vahle, issued a statement regarding the settlement. Read it below.
NEW: In a statement, Disney says the settlement agreement “opens a new chapter of constructive engagement with the new leadership of the district and serves the interests of all parties by enabling significant continued investment …” pic.twitter.com/w0yklwZ0HI
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) March 27, 2024