Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has emerged victorious as a US judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Disney against him. The lawsuit accused DeSantis of orchestrating a campaign of ‘government retaliation’, but Judge Allen Winsor ruled in favor of the governor, stating that the actions in question were legal and that Disney lacked standing to sue.
The dispute between DeSantis and Disney stemmed from Florida’s move to tighten oversight of Disney’s amusement park, following the company’s criticism of a state law restricting the teaching of sexuality in schools. The changes granted DeSantis the power to appoint members to the district’s governing board, a move that Disney argued was detrimental to its interests.
In his ruling, Judge Winsor upheld the state legislators’ right to make the changes and stated that Disney had failed to prove it faced any imminent harm from the governor’s actions. He emphasized that courts cannot declare a law unconstitutional solely based on lawmakers’ potential ‘illegitimate motivation’ in enacting it.
Disney expressed its intention to continue pursuing the case, asserting that the lawsuit holds serious implications for the rule of law. The company argued that allowing such actions to go unchallenged would set a dangerous precedent, enabling states to misuse their official powers to suppress political viewpoints they disagree with.
The conflict between Disney and DeSantis began as the governor was gearing up for a presidential campaign. Despite dropping out of the race after a disappointing showing in the Iowa caucuses, DeSantis’s challenge to Disney, the largest employer in the state, bolstered his national profile and solidified his image as a culture warrior.
However, his actions also incurred costs, causing unease among traditional, business-friendly Republicans and drawing criticism from former President Donald Trump. The feud was sparked by Disney’s public criticism of the Parental Rights in Education Act, also known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, which prohibited discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity for young students, a ban that was later extended to all grades.
