Judge dismisses Disney lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis

[BumRushDaShow]

Last edited Wed Jan 31, 2024, 06:30 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: ABC News

January 31, 2024, 5:01 PM


A federal judge in Florida has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Disney against Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state officials over the state legislature's decision to alter the governing structure of the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

Disney had argued in the lawsuit, filed last April, that the change to the district, for which the company was the main landowner, was made in retaliation for criticism of the Parental Rights in Education Act, known by opponents as the "Don't Say Gay" bill.

The Florida Legislature voted to dissolve the former governing board of the district and create a DeSantis-appointed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District in its place. The board voided a contract made before the CFTOD was in place, according to the lawsuit.

DeSantis has been at odds with Disney since it publicly criticized a DeSantis-backed controversial Florida law that restricts content concerning sexual orientation and gender identity in grades kindergarten through third grade. Disney, citing concerns of discrimination, had said it "should never have passed and should never have been signed into law."

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Business/judge-dismisses-disney-lawsuit-gov-ron-desantis/story?id=106840357

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Article updated.

Original article -

January 31, 2024, 3:10 PM


A Florida judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Disney against Gov. Ron DeSantis over the state legislature's decision to alter the governing structure of the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

Disney had argued the change to the district, for which the company was the main landowner, was made in retaliation for criticism of the Parental Rights in Education Act, known by opponents as the "Don't Say Gay" bill.


Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

[Fullduplexxx]

1. Wow abc that was some in depth reporting 🤦‍♂️

[Midnight Writer]

2. "a Trump appointee"-There. I added the salient detail.

[Think. Again.]

5. Thanks...

...that's really all there is to the story. No need for ABC to update.

[cstanleytech]

13. Yup, hardly a surprising ruling.

[grumpyduck]

3. Can they appeal?

Take a page from the repuke playbook?

[ArkansasDemocrat1]

4. Disney, you might as well yank off the bandaid now unstead of being forced to when you're not ready

Might be time to strike the tents and move elsewhere. For sure, suspend all unnecessary spending on infrastructure there...

[maxsolomon]

6. LOL, move Disney World?

I think they'll just deal.

[cstanleytech]

14. They could. It sure as hell wouldn't be cheap but they could and it might devastate the Florida economy as Disney

being a major attraction brings in a ton of people into the State as well as employing thousands.
The domino effect of Florida losing all that would probably not be pleasant.

[csziggy]

15. Disney already cancelled moving many of their offices to Florida

They won't shut down Disney World - too much money tied up in it, too many jobs reliant on it - but they were going to move major parts of the corporation to Florida and bailed when DeSantis started flexing his tiny muscles. It cost the state millions in jobs and construction that had been planned.

Disney cancels plans for $1 billion campus, 2,000 jobs in Florida
By Dawn Chmielewski and Lisa Richwine
May 18, 20238:49 PM EDTUpdated 8 months ago

LOS ANGELES, May 18 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) is scrapping plans to build a nearly $1 billion corporate campus in central Florida that would have housed 2,000 employees, according to an e-mail to employees on Thursday, against the backdrop of its ongoing legal battle with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

Disney parks chief Josh D'Amaro said "changing business conditions" prompted Disney to reconsider its 2021 plan to relocate employees, including its Imagineers who design theme park rides, to a new campus in Lake Nona.

The company was expected to spend as much as $864 million on the project, according to the Orlando Sentinel, on a campus that would have served as a base for Walt Disney Imagineering and the Disney Parks, Experiences and Products division.

Disney's decision to move the California-based Imagineering staffers across the country drew complaints from employees, many of whom said they did not want to move to Florida.

https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/disney-cancels-plans-relocate-2000-jobs-florida-company-email-2023-05-18/

[sinkingfeeling]

7. Better reporting here on federal judge's dismissal.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/104518726

[bigmonk]

8. Judge who

Judge Allen Winsor, first appointed to the bench by DeSantis and then on the federal level by Trump. It's odd that most of the articles don't mention his name or who appointed him.

[Marthe48]

9. Welcome to DU

[SouthernDem4ever]

10. This will be an on-going issue

Taxpayers will probably be the hardest hit by all this - as usual.

[lpbk2713]

11. Makes me wonder what the tradeoff was.

It had to be something. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.

[FloridaBlues]

12. Sorry to read this, major corporations in Florida better listen up

Because Desantis will do this to other companies if they speak up against mini trump.