U.S. Chief District Judge Mark Walker decided after the state's attorneys requested his disqualification based on comments he made in court regarding the ongoing dispute between DeSantis and the entertainment giant. In a 14-page order, Walker stated that he chose to err on the side of caution and judicial integrity, adding that maintaining public trust in the judiciary is paramount.
The feud between Disney and DeSantis began last year when the company publicly opposed Florida's "parental rights in education," which bans classroom instruction about gender identity or sexual orientation in lower grades.
The lawsuit ensued after DeSantis appointed the board to govern the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, which houses the Walt Disney World resort, and voted to nullify two development contracts Disney signed in February. Disney is alleging that the Republican governor has engaged in a "targeted campaign of government retaliation" against the company that violates Disney's free speech rights.
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DeSantis has made his battle with Disney part of his political brand as he gears up for his 2024 presidential campaign. Walker has presided over several legal proceedings involving DeSantis and Florida lawmakers.
Last year, he blocked parts of the DeSantis-backed "Stop WOKE Act," in 2021, he stopped the state's "anti-riot" legislation that DeSantis had championed.
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