A high-profile lawsuit between Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will go ahead, but with a new judge presiding. U.S. Chief District Judge Mark Walker has removed himself from the case after state attorneys pushed to disqualify him due to comments he made about the dispute. Walker wrote in a 14-page order that he wanted to err on the side of caution when it came to maintaining the public's trust in the judiciary and the case would not have a substantial effect on The Walt Disney Company.

Disney claims that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has breached its free speech rights through what the company describes as a "targeted campaign of government retaliation." DeSantis has made the feud with Disney part of his political brand ahead of the 2024 election. The dispute began when Disney spoke out against Florida's "parental rights in education," a bill that banned education about gender identity and sexual orientation in lower grades and was labelled the Don't Say Gay bill by opponents.

The lawsuit followed the board appointed by DeSantis to govern the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, where the Walt Disney World resort is located, voting to nullify two contracts signed by Disney in February. Both sides view the legal battle as a proxy in a larger cultural war, a topic that may come to bear in the judge's findings. This aspect may have led DeSantis' team to challenge Judge Walker, who has previously shown a willingness to speak out on issues they feel he should not.

A high-profile lawsuit between Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will go ahead, but with a new judge presiding. U.S. Chief District Judge Mark Walker has removed himself from the case after state attorneys pushed to disqualify him due to comments he made about the dispute. Walker wrote in a 14-page order that he wanted to err on the side of caution when it came to maintaining the public's trust in the judiciary and the case would not have a substantial effect on The Walt Disney Company.
Disney claims that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has breached its free speech rights through what the company describes as a "targeted campaign of government retaliation." DeSantis has made the feud with Disney part of his political brand ahead of the 2024 election. The dispute began when Disney spoke out against Florida's "parental rights in education," a bill that banned education about gender identity and sexual orientation in lower grades and was labelled the Don't Say Gay bill by opponents.
The lawsuit followed the board appointed by DeSantis to govern the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, where the Walt Disney World resort is located, voting to nullify two contracts signed by Disney in February. Both sides view the legal battle as a proxy in a larger cultural war, a topic that may come to bear in the judge's findings. This aspect may have led DeSantis' team to challenge Judge Walker, who has previously shown a willingness to speak out on issues they feel he should not.

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