Disney’s latest attempt to play the victim has been dismissed by a federal judge, much to the chagrin of the entertainment conglomerate. The company, known for its theme parks, films, and merchandise, filed a lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and other state officials, claiming that they retaliated against Disney for speaking out against a controversial parental rights education law.
Disney’s argument revolved around the fact that the law limits classroom discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity, and the company claims that this is a violation of their First Amendment rights. However, Judge Allen Winsor of the U.S. District Court in Tallahassee didn’t buy Disney’s argument, stating that the company lacked standing to sue the governor and other defendants for violating their free speech.
Winsor went on to say that Disney’s claims “fail on the merits,” citing federal court rulings that state a plaintiff cannot sue on free-speech grounds if the law in question is constitutional on its face. Essentially, Disney’s argument that the lawmakers had a “constitutionally impermissible purpose” in passing the law was thrown out by the judge.
🚨NEW🚨 Disney just lost their Federal case against Ron DeSantis.
It’s refreshing to see that the future of the Republican Party actually wins his cases. pic.twitter.com/PyhjBMgI19
— Dustin Grage 🇺🇸 (@GrageDustin) January 31, 2024
But the most ironic part of this entire lawsuit is that Disney was accused of trying to use the court system to push its own agenda. You see, Disney has effectively controlled the board of a special improvement district in Florida, where its parks and resorts are located, for over 50 years. However, when the Florida legislature amended the district’s structure and renamed it the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, it took away Disney’s control over the board.
Why is this important? Disney claims that the governor and other defendants punished them for criticizing the “Don’t Say Gay” law by changing the board’s structure. However, the judge pointed out that this is not a valid argument, as the law was changed in 2020, while Disney’s criticisms came in 2022, making it impossible for the defendants to retaliate against the company for something that hadn’t even happened yet.
In essence, Disney was trying to use its power and influence to keep control over a government board, but when that control was taken away, the company cried foul and took the state to court. And now, after wasting time and resources on this frivolous lawsuit, Disney has the audacity to say that the ruling sets a “dangerous precedent” and gives states the ability to “weaponize their official powers.”
JUST IN: DeSantis takes victory lap over winning Disney’s federal lawsuit
“I would like to see an accounting from some of the people who last year, were trying to say that Disney ‘outmaneuvered’ Florida…”
“I don’t hear very much now that the case was summarily dismissed.” pic.twitter.com/lLqPKfMMo0
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) February 1, 2024
But the judge’s ruling was clear: Disney’s claims were baseless and lacked any evidence to support them. And it seems that Governor DeSantis’ message of limiting corporate influence in government has hit the nail on the head. As he said, “the Corporate Kingdom is over.” And for Disney, that’s a tough pill to swallow. But for the rest of us, it’s a victory for the rule of law and a reminder that corporations are not above the law.
