Current:Home > MyDeSantis’ appointees ask judge to rule against Disney without need for trial -Wealthify
DeSantis’ appointees ask judge to rule against Disney without need for trial
View
Date:2025-04-15 00:40:47
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 the district through legislation passed by Florida lawmakers and appointed a new board of supervisors to oversee municipal services for the sprawling theme parks and hotels. But the new supervisors’ authority was limited by the company’s agreements with predecessors.
In response, DeSantis and Florida lawmakers passed legislation that repealed those agreements.
The governor has touted his yearlong feud with Disney in his run for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, often accusing the entertainment giant of being too “woke.” Disney has accused the governor of violating its First Amendment rights.
In an interview with CNBC on Monday, DeSantis urged Disney to drop the company’s lawsuit, saying that he and his allies have moved on from the feud with the company.
“They’re suing the state of Florida. They’re going to lose that lawsuit,” DeSantis said on CNBC’s “Last Call.”
___
Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at @MikeSchneiderAP
veryGood! (56796)
Related
- Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
- Pennsylvania governor to deliver budget while seeking money for higher education and public transit
- Jay-Z calls out Grammys over Beyoncé snubs: 'We want y'all to get it right'
- Paris Jackson covers up over 80 tattoos at the Grammys: 'In love with my alter ego'
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- Kelly Rizzo Dating Breckin Meyer 2 Years After Husband Bob Saget’s Death
- Richard Caster, a 3-time Pro Bowl tight end and wide receiver for the Jets, dies at 75
- Why Miley Cyrus Called Out Audience at 2024 Grammy Awards
- Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
- Jenna Ortega’s Thoughts on Beetlejuice 2 Costar Wyonna Ryder Will Make You Excited for Showtime
Ranking
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- Sen. Kyrsten Sinema rebukes election question that makes Americans really hate politics
- Mega Millions jackpot climbs to $333 million for Feb. 2 drawing. See the winning numbers
- Doctor who prescribed 500,000 opioids in 2-year span has conviction tossed, new trial ordered
- British golfer Charley Hull blames injury, not lack of cigarettes, for poor Olympic start
- Boy, 13, fatally shot man on Denver bus after his leg blocked aisle, police say
- Miley Cyrus Leaves Dad Billy Ray Cyrus Out of Grammys Acceptance Speech
- Paris Jackson covers up over 80 tattoos at the Grammys: 'In love with my alter ego'
Recommendation
What polling shows about Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ new running mate
Bob Saget's widow, Kelly Rizzo, dating Breckin Meyer two years after husband's death
Below Deck Fans, Get Ready for a Shocking Amount of Season 11 Firings
Wyndham Clark wins AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am after weather shortens event to 54 holes
Everything Simone Biles did at the Paris Olympics was amplified. She thrived in the spotlight
What is Super Bowl LVIII? How to read Roman numerals and why the NFL uses them
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema says Senate immigration proposal ends the practice of catch and release
Are you wearing the wrong bra size? Here’s how to check.