By Darren Lyn
HOUSTON, US (AA) - A federal judge on Wednesday tossed out Walt Disney's free speech lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for allegedly retaliating against the movie and theme park giant over legislation discussing sexuality in state classrooms, according to multiple media outlets.
"This is an important case with serious implications for the rule of law, and it will not end here," said a Disney spokesperson in a statement.
"If left unchallenged, this would set a dangerous precedent and give license to states to weaponize their official powers to punish the expression of political viewpoints they disagree with," the statement continued. "We are determined to press forward with our case."
The clash between Disney and DeSantis began in 2022 after Disney publicly opposed the state's so-called "Don't Say Gay" law, which banned classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity discussions in early grades.
DeSantis heralded the new law and Disney claimed the Florida governor retaliated against the company for objecting to the legislation by taking over the municipal district Disney had controlled for its theme parks for more than five decades. DeSantis and Republican legislators then created a new district called the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and appointed a new board to oversee it called the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board and filled the committee with members who sided with the governor.
DeSantis had urged the judge to dismiss the lawsuit, claiming that Disney could not sue them over constitutionally enacted state laws regarding free speech.
The judge in the case agreed. In the decision, he said that Disney lacked standing in its First Amendment lawsuit against DeSantis and his appointees to the Disney World governing district, according to court filings.
However, the battle between the two is far from over. Disney vs. DeSantis round two is up next with a separate lawsuit related to the new municipal district created by the governor.
In the second case, Disney has claimed that the oversight government for Walt Disney World created by DeSantis and his appointees has failed to release documents and properly preserve records, which they say is in violation of Florida's public records laws.
That case is still pending in state court.
Disney is Florida's largest private employer with nearly 75,000 workers.