Disney asks a judge to toss a lawsuit from board of DeSantis appointees
This lawsuit is a compulsory counterclaim to the existing litigation filed by Disney
https://apnews.com/article/disney-desantis-tourism-florida-lgbtq-29171587f99953584baa255d7313d88f
Disney asked a Florida judge on Friday to toss out a lawsuit against the companys efforts to neutralize a takeover of Disney Worlds governing district by Gov. Ron DeSantis and his appointees.
The case in state court in Orlando is one of two stemming from the takeover, which was retaliation for the companys public opposition to the so-called Dont Say Gay legislation championed by DeSantis and Republican lawmakers. Disney is fighting DeSantis in one lawsuit and his Disney World board appointees in another.
The governor has touted his yearlong feud with Disney in his run for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, often accusing the entertainment giant of being too woke. Disney has accused the governor of violating its free speech rights.
Attorneys for Disney argued before Circuit Judge Margaret Schreiber that any decision in state court would be moot since the Republican-controlled Legislature already has passed a law voiding agreements that the company made with a prior governing board of Disney supporters that gave design and construction powers to the company.
If the judge decides not to dismiss the state case, the entertainment giant asked that the state court case be put on hold until a federal lawsuit in Tallahassee is resolved since they cover the same ground and that lawsuit was filed first.