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DeSantis Urges for Lawsuit Dismissal

DeSantis Lawsuit
Credit: Disney, Canva,

The conflict between Governor Ron DeSantis and The Walt Disney Company has been ongoing and complicated. The two powerhouses continue to battle back and forth, both in and out of court, on various issues and topics. Today, attorneys for Gov. Ron DeSantis made a big push in one of the ongoing lawsuits.

ron desantis, magic kingdom

Credit: Disney, Phil Sears

Motion to Dismiss

Attorneys for Gov. Ron DeSantis are asking a federal judge to dismiss a free speech lawsuit that Disney filed. Disney filed the case following Florida’s governor’s take on Walt Disney World’s governing district.

Related: Disney Warns DeSantis Threatens First Amendment Rights

A hearing for this trial is set to be made in federal court in Tallahassee. During this hearing, first-time oral arguments will be made regarding Disney’s claim that DeSantis used his powers to punish Walt Disney World for their opposition to his state law banning classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Ron DeSantis Disney feud

Credit: Flickr, Greg Skidmore/ Adobe

Disney states that their First Amendment rights were violated, allowing DeSantis to punish those with opposing viewpoints. “That premise is not just legally unsupported, it is profoundly un-American,” Disney said in court papers.

Attorneys for DeSantis claim he is immune from the lawsuit as he doesn’t enforce any of the laws that removed supervision of the government from Disney supporters.

ron desantis and partners statue at disney world cinderella castle

Credit: ZKD/Canva

Other Battles

The two sides are also fighting in state court regarding the control of what was the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Earlier this year, legislators passed a bill allowing the district to be taken over by connecting five board members to the governor.

The fight in the lawsuit is for who will continue to control the governing district that focuses on municipal services for the approximately 40 square miles that make up Walt Disney World.

We will have to wait and see if the judge will dismiss the free speech lawsuit, and until then, we hope this conflict won’t impact the overall magic Walt Disney World provides guests daily.

About Jennifer Retzlaff

My name is Jennifer Retzlaff and I became a lifelong Disney fan during my first trip to Walt Disney World in 6th grade. From that moment, Disney became a big part of my life. I live in Iowa with my husband and two kids who are growing up too quickly for my liking. I started introducing my love for Disney early to my family with a Disney honeymoon and then trips when our youngest of 18 months. Since then, our family has been to Walt Disney World over five times and we continue to plan and dream for the next trip. I love the magic that Disney brings to people through the theme parks, cruises, adventures and movies they create. As a teacher, I try to bring that magic into my classroom to help kids believe that “If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It.” I recently reached a dream of mine as I joined Magic Vacation Planner as a personal travel advisor. With this team, I can now help others plan magical vacations. As a passionate writer, I also have my own blog at magicalvacationsbyjen which is also where you can follow me on instagram for trip reviews along with tips and tricks for your next magical vacation.