Disney Files Protective Order to Keep Its Deepest, Darkest Secrets Hidden

Lost in the Walt Disney Company’s case against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is that at some point, the two sides would have to exchange a massive cache of documents. While Disney has been rather forthcoming with the documents requested, Governor DeSantis and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District have been stalling to delay the turnover of documents.

Related: In A Major Blow, Federal Judge Dismisses Disney’s Case Against DeSantis

Disney has had to file a lawsuit in State Court in an attempt to obtain what it called “documents pertinant to its case.” Just before the New Year, it filed its lawsuit claiming that the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District has broken state law and the Constitution by failing to protect and turn over public records.

But lost in all that is the fact that the Walt Disney Company has turned over thousands of pages of documents, and the CFTOD has decades of records on Disney World from the former Reedy Creek Improvement District. Those records contain decades of sensitive information, personal information, and proprietary information about rides and attractions at the Walt Disney World Resort.

In order to keep all of that sensitive information safe from the new Board and rivals, Disney has filed a protective order in court, asking the judge to allow Disney to designate documents and depositions as confidential and requiring anyone who had access to them to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

An attorney for Disney told the judge that the litigation would involve turning over sensitive and potentially confidential information that would result in “significant harm” if that material were to be made public.

An attorney representing the CFTOD agreed with the lawyer for Disney, and any person viewing any of the confidential information will have to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

The judge in the case still has not ruled on Disney’s lawsuit, claiming that the CFTOD has withheld information and has not provided documents Disney requested in discovery.

Last week, Disney’s First Amendment lawsuit against Governor DeSantis was dismissed without a court trial. Disney has appealed that ruling.

These lawsuits stem from former Disney CEO Bob Chapek speaking out against Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act, known by its critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” Bill. Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature stripped Walt Disney World of its self-governing district and replaced it with the CFTOD.

Disney has sued the governor in Federal Court over the company’s First Amendment Right to Free Speech and is currently suing the CFTOD in state court, claiming the new Board violated the Contract Clause of the Constitution.

Neither court has issued a date to rule on Disney’s motions.

We will continue to update this story at Disney Fanatic.