Disney has been hit with countless lawsuits in its day, and right now is certainly one of those times.
Cinderella Castle
Between the Reedy Creek lawsuits, Annual Passholder and Magic Key lawsuits, and more, The Walt Disney Company’s legal department is probably not having a great time right now. In late 2022, one of Disney’s own investors filed a suit arguing that Disney created “‘far-reaching’ financial risks for itself by opposing a Florida law limiting instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in elementary schools.” And now, we have an update on that suit.
According to Reuters, The Walt Disney Company did not act negligently when it criticized Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law, despite what an investor has alleged in a suit filed late last year. Kenneth Simeone, an investor in Disney, filed a lawsuit in Delaware Chancery Court against Disney [Kenneth Simeone v. The Walt Disney Co., No. 2022-1120, Delaware Chancery Court (Wilmington)].
©Disney
The lawsuit centered around Disney’s response to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Bill (what critics called “Don’t Say Gay”). It claims that Disney created “‘far-reaching’ financial risks for itself by opposing a Florida law limiting instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in elementary schools.” Simeone claimed that by criticizing “Don’t Say Gay” Disney “lost control over tax and improvement issues at its Orlando-area theme park.”
Pride in Disney World
Simeone demanded that Disney turn over internal records about the decisions made surrounding the Company’s opposition to “Don’t Say Gay.”
But, Judge Lori Will of Delaware’s Court of Chancery ruled that Disney does not have to turn over internal records that included years of board members’ emails. Simeone requested the documents “to investigate possible wrongdoing by directors in connection with the company’s decision to criticize the 2022 law.”
Tree of Life
The judge stated that while it may not have been a good financial decision for Disney to criticize the bill, the evidence failed to support the idea that company executives allowed their personal views to influence their decisions to do so. She went on to say that Simeone could not use Delaware corporate law to “search for hypothetical conflicts.”
EPCOT
In addition, the judge found that the suit specifically benefited the Thomas More Society, a nonprofit law firm that is known for supporting conservative causes. She said, “The plaintiff’s counsel and the Thomas More Society are entitled to their beliefs,” but that a corporate records lawsuit “is not a vehicle to advance them.”
So, for now, it looks like Disney has come out as the victor in this lawsuit — but there is still more to come in other cases Disney is involved in. We’ll be keeping up with all of them, so be sure to stay tuned to DFB for more.
4 Times Disney LOST Million-Dollar Lawsuits
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Why is a judge in Delaware deciding on an issue in Florida? That’s as ridiculous as Newsom telling DeSantis how to run Florida!!
This ‘victory’ merely stomps out an ember flare on the outside of a Barn Burning.
I don’t get it. How can a public comment on a political matter be void of that Disney Executive’s or Disney’s corporate personal opinion? If the executive had no opinion on the matter or was generally in agreement with the issue at hand, why be critical of the matter, as was Bob Chapek in opposing Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill? This ruling defies logic.
Free speech trampling knuckleheads lose another day in court.
This news makes me so happy! Disney is the only reason I would consider visiting Florida, while the state is under this backwards thinking administration.
Once again this is reported repeatedly usuing the term “Dont say Gay bill”. Just because some activists have used this term, there is no need for DFB writers to continue using it over and over again!
This bill does not tromp free speech! There is no such thing as a teacher to 6 year olds having free speech!
This bill states no sexuality or gender identities be tought to children under 8 years old!!
Anyone that opposes that is not right in their head. Leave kids out of it!
Marie – some people just enjoy picking a sore and don’t want it to heal. Another brick in the wall quote “ Teachers, leave the kids alone”. Teaching the three r,s and how to get along with everyone is our job as teachers.
It’s up to corporations, government, teachers, and any other free thinking American to stand up to fascism wherever necessary. DeSantis and his ilk are dangerous.
No, Charlie, DeSantis us NOT dangerous! You just don’t agree with what he stands for.
So are teachers allowed to mention their husbands/wives? No? To do so would be introducing ‘sexuality’ into the classroom wouldn’t it? Bigots and homophobes don’t really think about these laws or their implications very hard, do they?