DeSantis' appointees ask judge to rule against Disney without need for trial
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appointees to a board that oversees Walt Disney World say a Florida judge should rule without trial against Disney as the company fights Gov. Ron DeSantis’ takeover of the governing district
A Florida judge should rule without trial against Disney as the company fights Gov. Ron DeSantis’ takeover of a board that oversees Walt Disney World, the Republican governor's appointees said in a Tuesday court filing.
Members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District asked the state judge in Orlando for a summary judgment that would rule in their favor on five of the nine counts in their case.
The case is one of two lawsuits stemming from the takeover, which was retaliation for Disney’s public opposition to the “Don’t Say Gay” legislation championed by DeSantis and Republican lawmakers. In the other lawsuit, in federal court in Tallahassee, Disney says DeSantis violated the company’s free speech rights.
DeSantis isn't a party in the state court case in which his appointees accuse Disney of wrongly stripping them of powers over design and construction at Disney World when the company made agreements with Disney-friendly predecessors. The DeSantis appointees argued that the board of Disney supporters didn't give proper notice, lacked authority and unlawfully delegated government authority to a private entity.
The judge in the state case last month refused Disney's request to dismiss the lawsuit.
The fight between DeSantis and Disney began last year after the company, facing significant pressure internally and externally, publicly opposed a state law banning classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades, a policy critics call “Don’t Say Gay.”
As punishment, DeSantis took over
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