Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is facing a First Amendment lawsuit from Walt Disney Co., filed on Wednesday, alleging that the governor's actions constituted a "campaign of government retaliation" against Disney's resistance to the state's "Don't Say Gay" law.
This Disney lawsuit marks the latest escalation in the ongoing feud between DeSantis and the entertainment giant, with the governor's allies now making renewed efforts to gain control of the amusement parks in Orlando.
Disney sued in federal court in Florida. It claims that the state's seizure of the Reedy Creek Improvement District was "retaliation for Disney's political speech," which violates the First Amendment, according to Variety.
Disney expressed sorrow in the case that it had to approach the court after being unable to agree with Ron DeSantis.
The lawsuit was brought only minutes after a DeSantis-appointed Disney World oversight board decided to terminate an agreement that gave the business control over theme park design and development.
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Disney Says DeSantis' Action Was Unlawful
According to the Disney lawsuit, the company referred to the DeSantis-appointed oversight board's termination of the development contracts as the "latest strike" and claimed that these contracts formed the basis of billions of dollars in investments and thousands of job opportunities, per CNBC.
The civil case also alleges that the government's action was blatantly retaliatory, anti-business, and unconstitutional.
Ron DeSantis, expected to run for the US presidency next year, and Disney, a significant political force and Florida's top source of tourism, have been engaged in a long-running battle.
The conflict started last year when Disney, under intense pressure, openly challenged state legislation that forbids teachers from teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity to young students, a practice known as "Don't Say Gay," PBS reported.
Ron DeSantis seized control of Disney World's self-governing district as retribution and formed a new board of supervisors to manage governmental services at the vast theme parks. However, Disney pushed through a last-minute arrangement that significantly reduced the new supervisors' power before the new board took over.
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