Disney's Lawsuit Against Ron DeSantis: 5 Things To Know

ORLANDO, FL — In a lawsuit filed in federal court Wednesday, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts officials accused Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis of orchestrating "every step" in a "targeted campaign of government retaliation" after the entertainment giant spoke against anti-LGBTQ legislation passed by state lawmakers.

The 77-page lawsuit filed by Disney in the Northern District of Florida is the latest in the feud between the company and DeSantis after the state passed legislation earlier this year to take control of Disney World's 55-year-old independent special taxing district, according to court documents.

"Disney regrets that it has come to this," court documents stated. “But having exhausted efforts to seek a resolution, the Company is left with no choice but to file this lawsuit to protect its cast members, guests, and local development partners from a relentless campaign to weaponize government power against Disney in retaliation for expressing a political viewpoint unpopular with certain State officials."

Here are five questions about the lawsuit answered, according to court documents:

How did this start?

In February, the GOP-controlled Florida Legislature passed legislation allowing the state to take control of Disney World's independent special taxing district known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which gave Disney World the right to self-govern its 25,000-acre footprint in Orange and Osceola counties.

The legislation renamed the Reedy Creek Improvement District to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and gave DeSantis the power to select the five-person board.

The move by Florida lawmakers was primarily seen as retaliation for the entertainment giant publicly opposing Florida's Parental Rights in Education bill — dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill by critics — that bars instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.

Disney officials spoke out against the bill amid significant pressure and employee walkouts.

According to the lawsuit, DeSantis has vowed additional retaliation against the company, including hotel taxes and road tolls. Court documents claim DeSantis also mentioned building a "state prison" next to Walt Disney World.

"Who knows? I just think the possibilities are endless,” DeSantis said, according to the lawsuit.

In March, board members appointed by DeSantis learned the company's previous board passed a 30-year development agreement and restrictive covenants that make new members powerless to manage Disney's future growth in Florida, the Orlando Sentinel first reported.

The lawsuit was filed just minutes after the board appointed by DeSantis voted to nullify the agreement, The New York Times reported.

Who are the defendants?

In addition to DeSantis, Disney is suing Meredith Ivey, the acting secretary of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. Court documents also name the five people appointed to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District by DeSantis — Martin Garcia, Michael Sasso, Brian Aungst Jr., Bridget Ziegler and John Classe.

What claims did Disney make in the lawsuit?

The lawsuit filed by Disney claims DeSantis and members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District violated the company's right to free speech. Court documents also accuse DeSantis and the board of violating the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment, which forbids any state or local entity from adopting any “arbitrary and irrational” legislative act affecting a person’s rights.

According to court documents, Disney accused DeSantis of filling the new board with "political appointees" to "execute the retribution campaign."

"When Governor DeSantis addressed what he was 'looking for with this board,' he described, with a thinly veiled euphemism, staffing the board with people who would censor Disney’s speech and discipline the Company," the lawsuit states. "As Governor DeSantis put it, referring to Disney, 'When you lose your way, you’ve got to have people that are going to tell you the truth … So we hope they can get back on.'"

The lawsuit also claims DeSantis and members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District were aware of the development agreement, which had been "publicized in the press, read out at board meetings, and recorded in county records almost two months earlier" before its February passage, according to the suit.

"Despite the facts, the political story was set, and the retaliation only got worse," court documents state.

What is Disney hoping to gain from the lawsuit?

The Disney lawsuit asks a federal judge to void the governor’s takeover of the special taxing district, as well as the DeSantis oversight board’s actions because they were violations of the company’s free speech rights.

"Disney’s public statements on House Bill 1557 are fully protected by the First Amendment, which applies with particular force to political speech," court documents state.

What does DeSantis think of the lawsuit?

DeSantis shrugged off the lawsuit Wednesday during an overseas trip to Israel, calling it "politically motivated."

DeSantis was speaking on the third leg of an international trip meant to burnish his foreign policy credentials ahead of a potential campaign for the Republican presidential nomination as a key rival to former President Donald Trump.

“They’re upset because they’re having to live by the same rules as everybody else. They don’t want to pay the same taxes as everybody else and they want to be able to control things without proper oversight," DeSantis said. “The days of putting one company on a pedestal with no accountability are over in the state of Florida.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.