The suit, filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, came minutes after a Disney World oversight board appointed by DeSantis voted to void a deal that placed theme park design and construction decisions in the company’s hands.
The lawsuit claims DeSantis has been retaliating against Disney since last year, when it criticized Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act.
“A targeted campaign of government retaliation – orchestrated at every step by Governor DeSantis as punishment for Disney’s protected speech – now threatens Disney’s business operations, jeopardizes its economic future in the region, and violates its constitutional rights,” the suit claims.
The act, which bars instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, was dubbed by critics “Don’t Say Gay.”
After Disney criticized the act, Florida lawmakers passed, and DeSantis signed, legislation revamping the government-like board that oversees Walt Disney World’s 27,000-acre property outside Orlando.
Among the changes the legislation made was that the Florida governor got to pick the five supervisors of the governing board instead of it being controlled by Disney, as it had been in its previous 55 years.
DeSantis has been critical of Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District, which was created in 1967 and allowed Disney to act as its own government within the outer limits of Orange and Osceola counties in Florida.
DeSantis spokesman Jeremy Redfern issued a statement Wednesday in response to the lawsuit.
“We are unaware of any legal right that a company has to operate its own government or maintain special privileges not held by other businesses in the state,” the statement read. “This lawsuit is yet another unfortunate example of their hope to undermine the will of the Florida voters and operate outside the bounds of the law.”
Last month, the new DeSantis-appointees claimed their Disney-controlled predecessors pulled a fast one by stripping the new board of most powers and giving Disney control over design and construction at the theme park resort before the new members could take their seats.
Last week, DeSantis and state lawmakers proposed upcoming legislation that would require state inspections of Disney rides.
Lawmakers also plan to consider legislation that would revoke the agreements between the previous board supervisors and Disney.
Disney has said all agreements made with the previous board were legal and approved in a public forum.
Disney CEO Bob Iger earlier this month said that any actions against the company that threaten jobs or expansion at its Florida resort was not only “anti-business” but “anti-Florida.”
