Disney and the Governor DeSantis controlled Central Florida Tourism Oversight District have reached an agreement for when a trial will be held regarding a public records lawsuit. This lawsuit was brought by Disney against Governor DeSantis and the district and accuses both parties withholding public records it had requested as part of another ongoing lawsuit.The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that Disney and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District have agreed on June 24th as the date for this public records trial.
This issue is separate from another lawsuit Disney has filed accusing the district of not turning over text messages and emails as part of a discovery. This request includes work-related communications on personal devices. At this point, a judge has not ruled on this request. Yet another lawsuit is making its way through a federal court. In this one, Disney accuses Governor DeSantis and other Florida leaders (including the CFTOD board) of violating its First Amendment rights and accusing the Governor of weaponizing government and retaliation. This came after Disney spoke out against legislation that limited the teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity in younger classes. This is commonly referred to by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
The results of these multiple lawsuits could determine what the future of the district where most of Walt Disney World Resort resides looks like. Previously the district, known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District, worked closely with Disney for decades. This district was dissolved by the governor and Florida legislature and then replaced in a very similar form by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. The new district has a board that is appointed by the Governor of Florida.
In recent months, Governor DeSantis has not been publicly focusing on the issue as he ran for the Republican nomination for President of the United States. Leading into his announcement to run and at the beginning of his campaign, he regularly was quite vocal with his attacks on Disney. Now that he has suspended his campaign, it remains to be seen how he will approach the issue moving forward.
Daps Magic will continue to follow this story and provide updates as they become available. What do you think about the ongoing dispute between The Walt Disney Company and Governor DeSantis/Central Florida Tourism Oversight District? How do you think it should be resolved? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.
