Attorneys for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have requested a trial involving Disney to be postponed until mid-2025, after the GOP presidential nomination race and the November 2024 general election. In a court filing on Tuesday, DeSantis’ attorneys and his appointees to the board governing Disney World proposed an August 4, 2025, trial date.
The lawsuit filed by Disney claims that its free speech rights were violated when DeSantis took over its governing district in retaliation for opposing the “Don’t Say Gay” legislation that the governor supported. Disney, on the other hand, proposed a trial date of July 15, 2024, which coincides with the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
The two sides also disagreed on when a motion should be filed for a decision in favor of one side without a full trial. Disney suggested filing the motion for summary judgment in April 2024, while DeSantis’ attorneys argued it should be a year later, in April 2025.
Recently, DeSantis and his appointees to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District requested the judge to dismiss the lawsuit, put it on hold, or drop them as defendants.
The dispute between Disney and DeSantis began last year when the company publicly opposed a state law banning classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades, known as the “Don’t Say Gay” policy. In response, DeSantis took over the district through legislation and appointed a new board to oversee municipal services for Disney World. However, the company had made agreements with previous board members who were Disney supporters, stripping the new supervisors of their authority over design and construction. In retaliation, DeSantis and Florida lawmakers repealed those agreements through legislation.
Disney sued DeSantis and the five-member board, seeking to void the governor’s takeover and the actions of the new oversight board, claiming that they violated the company’s free speech rights. In turn, the board sued Disney in state court to maintain control over construction and design at Disney World.
The trial date and other legal proceedings will determine the outcome of this ongoing dispute between Disney and Governor DeSantis.
How do the disagreements over the timing of the motion for summary judgment and the recent request to dismiss the lawsuit impact the ongoing dispute between Disney and Governor DeSantis
Attorneys representing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have requested a postponement of the trial involving Disney until mid-2025, well after the GOP presidential nomination race and the November 2024 general election. In a court filing on Tuesday, DeSantis’ legal team and his appointees to the board governing Disney World proposed an August 4, 2025, trial date.
The lawsuit filed by Disney alleges that its free speech rights were violated when DeSantis assumed control of the governing district in retaliation for the company’s opposition to the controversial “Don’t Say Gay” legislation supported by the governor. Disney, on the other hand, suggested a trial date of July 15, 2024, which coincides with the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
The two parties also disagreed on the timing of a motion for summary judgment, which would result in a decision in favor of one side without a full trial. Disney proposed filing this motion in April 2024, while DeSantis’ attorneys argued for a later date of April 2025.
Recently, DeSantis and his appointees to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District requested the judge to dismiss the lawsuit, put it on hold, or drop them as defendants.
The dispute between Disney and DeSantis originated last year when Disney publicly voiced its opposition to a state law prohibiting classroom discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades, commonly referred to as the “Don’t Say Gay” policy. In response, DeSantis took control of the district through legislation and appointed a new board to oversee municipal services for Disney World. However, the company had previously entered into agreements with board members who were Disney supporters, effectively undermining the authority of the newly appointed supervisors over design and construction matters. To counteract this, DeSantis and Florida lawmakers repealed those agreements through legislation.
Disney subsequently sued DeSantis and the five-member board, seeking to invalidate the governor’s takeover and the actions of the new oversight board, claiming that they infringed upon the company’s free speech rights. In retaliation, the board sued Disney in state court to maintain control over construction and design operations at Disney World.
The outcome of the trial date and other legal proceedings will ultimately determine the resolution of this ongoing dispute between Disney and Governor DeSantis.
It seems Gov. Ron DeSantis is well aware of the importance of a fair and thorough trial. Postponing the trial involving Disney until 2025 shows his commitment to ensuring the case is carefully examined, taking all parties’ interests into consideration.