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Credit: First Coast NewsThe Walt Disney Company and Governor Ron DeSantis are no longer fighting each other in the courtroom, but the fallout from their legal battle is far from over.
DeSantis & Disney: Friends & Foes
For most of the last year, Disney and Governor Ron DeSantis have been adversaries in both the media and, more importantly, federal and state courts. While the Mouse has historically been a hugely important and influential part of the Florida economy, the former presidential candidate’s political ambitions as an “anti-woke” crusader found him directly at odds with the Walt Disney World Resort, the largest single-site employer in his state.
After former Disney CEO Bob Chapek took a public stance against the Parental Rights in Education Act (better known as the “Don’t Say Gay” law), Ron DeSantis took swift action, dissolving the Reedy Creek Improvement District where the majority of Disney World is located and trashing Disney in the press. Multiple lawsuits ensued: the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (which replaced Reedy Creek) was accused of financial misconduct and cronyism, the CFTOD accused Disney right back, and ultimately, an eleventh-hour settlement seemed to calm things down.
Earlier this year, the CFTOD (and, by extension, DeSantis) announced it had reached a settlement with The Walt Disney Company, and most lawsuits between the two were dropped. Even more recently, Disney dropped the final First Amendment lawsuit against Governor DeSantis; perhaps not coincidentally, the CFTOD also voted to allow a $17 billion expansion of Disney World, which may or not involve a fifth theme land being built in Central Florida.
But while Disney and DeSantis may be at a legal truce, that doesn’t mean that the legal conflict has ended.
Related: Governor DeSantis Defunds Florida Museums While Diverting Funds to Disney World
“A Better Life in Florida”
In 2021, The Walt Disney Company announced that it would build a $1 billion office complex in Lake Nona, Florida, to take advantage of tax benefits and its proximity to Walt Disney World. The Lake Nona project would have been a huge investment in Florida and the source of potentially thousands of jobs in the state.
That is until the Disney-DeSantis conflict shut it down. In May 2023, Disney announced that it had canceled the Lake Nona office park expansion, saying, “Given the considerable changes that have occurred since the announcement of this project, including new leadership and changing business conditions, we have decided not to move forward with construction of the campus.”
Now, two current Disney employees have filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging that the corporation misrepresented that they would lose their jobs if they did not move to Florida for the Lake Nona expansion (per LA Times).
Related: Disney Ends War With DeSantis but Begins New One With Florida Politics
Disney staffers Maria De La Cruz and George Fong have filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles, claiming:
“As a result of relying on the statements relating to the Lake Nona project, and Disney’s failure to share the concealed facts, Plaintiffs, and all similarly situated employees, experienced various harms including losses relating to selling their homes in California, purchasing new homes in Florida, and other expenses and damages related to unnecessarily moving across the country.”
In court documents, De La Cruz and Fong claim they were pressured to think that “An employee could choose to move to a better life in Florida, or alternatively, choose not to move and be terminated by Disney.” The suit claims to represent:
All current and former California Disney employees who relocated from California to Florida as a result of Disney’s announcement of the Lake Nona Project. 40. The Class is so numerous that joinder of all members is impracticable. Plaintiffs are informed and believe, and on that basis allege, that during the Class Period Defendants employed at least 250 people who satisfy the definition of the Class. 41. Common questions of law and fact exist as to members of the Class, including, but not limited to, the following: INITIAL COMPLAINT CASE NO.:
● Whether Disney unlawfully solicited employees to relocate as a result of misrepresentations in violation of California Labor Code Section 970;
● Whether Disney intentionally misrepresented facts relating to the Lake Nona Project, thereby inducing employees to move from California to Florida;
● Whether Disney concealed facts relating to the Lake Nona Project, thereby inducing employees to move from California to Florida;
● Whether Disney negligently misrepresented facts relating to the Lake Nona Project, thereby inducing employees to move from California to Florida.
Attorney Jason Lohr says (via CNN), ” Ms. De La Cruz, Mr. Fong, and many others dutifully moved to Florida because they love their jobs, they love the people they work with, and they love Disney.” The lawsuit is asking for compensatory and punitive damages relating to employees feeling compelled to move across the country for the canceled Lake Nona project.
Do you think Disney should compensate employees for this case? Tell us in the comments below!