In Heated Battle, Disney Wanted Mediation, DeSantis Said No

It seems to be the fight that just will not end. For more than a year, The Walt Disney Company has been going back and forth with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. DeSantis began targeting Disney after former CEO Bob Chapek spoke out against Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Bill. It was a bill fully supported by the second-term governor. DeSantis said that Disney didn’t control the state, and he worked with the Republican-controlled legislature to pass bills that would specifically hurt Walt Disney World Resort.

At first, Disney said that it hoped to speak with the governor, so the two could continue with the relatively amicable relationship that they had enjoyed. Disney brings millions in tourism dollars to the state and pays millions in taxes every year. However, DeSantis was not interested in working together and continued to go after the Mouse House. Things got so bad that, in April 2023, Walt Disney World officially filed a lawsuit against DeSantis. The suit claims that DeSantis violated its First Amendment rights when he punished the company for speaking out against the bill.

At this point in the fight, the original judge on the case has recused himself and a new judge has taken over. Disney has requested that a trial begins in July 2024. DeSantis does not want a trial to start until August 2025. DeSantis is currently running for President of the United States and wants the trial to begin well after the election. However, it seems that Disney was hoping to avoid a trial altogether.

The company first asked that they settle their legal issues with DeSantis through mediation. Disney said that “early mediation may be beneficial in this case”. They requested a mediation date of November 2023. Unfortunately for Disney, DeSantis has no desire to settle things out of court. According to the filing, DeSantis’ legal team responded that they “do not believe mediation would be productive in this case.”

Does DeSantis Stand a Chance?

Despite the seriousness of the allegations levied against him by Disney, the Governor has repeatedly seemed unbothered. During multiple rallies, and even in his new book, the governor has bragged about targeting the company because they spoke out against him. His legal team has filed a motion asking the judge to dismiss the case because the governor has “absolute legislative immunity.” That means that Disney cannot sue him for what he has done to them because they have been “legitimate legislative activity.”

Despite what DeSantis seems to think, constitutional law experts disagree. Most of them have come to the consensus that Disney has a relatively strong case against DeSantis, mainly because of what DeSantis himself has said. As previously stated, the Governor has been open about the fact that he did not begin targeting Disney until AFTER Chapek spoke out against the Parental Rights bill. Disney has even amended its lawsuit to include things that DeSantis has said publicly about the never-ending fight.