Devendra Kumar
A historic settlement has finally been reached in the lengthy lawsuit between allies of Florida governor Ron DeSantis and Disney over control of Walt Disney World’s governing district. The dispute, which has been ongoing for nearly two years, was sparked by DeSantis’ takeover of the district from Disney supporters following the company’s vocal opposition to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. DeSantis, who championed the law, prohibited classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early school years, and used Disney as a punching bag in speeches until he suspended his presidential campaign this year.
As punishment for Disney’s opposition, DeSantis took over the governing district through legislation passed by the Republican-controlled Florida legislature and appointed a new board of supervisors. Disney, in turn, sued DeSantis and his appointees, claiming its free speech rights were violated for speaking out against the legislation.
A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit in January, but the dispute continued, with the new DeSantis appointees claiming that agreements signed by Disney supporters on the district’s board, shifted control over design and construction at Disney World to the company, neutered their powers. Thus, the district sued the company in state court in Orlando to have the contracts voided. Disney, on the other hand, filed counterclaims, seeking to have the agreements declared valid and enforceable.
The settlement agreement, though the terms of which remain undisclosed, marks the end of a bitter dispute that has been ongoing for nearly two years. It is unclear what exactly was agreed upon, but the agreement is expected to pave the way for Disney to regain control over certain aspects of its operations at Disney World.
With the settlement reached, both sides can now move forward, and Disney can focus on its core business of entertaining and innovating, rather than being bogged down in a lengthy and contentious legal battle. The agreement is expected to allow Disney to regain control over its operations at Disney World, which has been a major sticking point in the dispute.