Disney sues Florida Governor Ron DeSantis

Walt Disney has made the unprecedented move of suing the man who may go up against Donald Trump as the Republican nominee for president.

Walt Disney is pushing back against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

Movie and theme park giant Disney has escalated its battle against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is widely predicted to be the main competitor to Donald Trump becoming the Republican candidate for the next US presidential election.

The Walt Disney Company has accused Mr DeSantis of penalising the firm and “threatening its business operations” because it publicly disagreed with the Republican politician’s controversial so-called “Don’t Say Gay” policy in Florida schools.

It has cited comments from the governor including that he could allow the building of a prison next to the Magic Kingdom.

The new policy, enacted last year, initially banned any instruction in Florida schools about gender identity and sexual orientation for students below the age of nine. This month it was extended to all students up to the age of 17.

Florida officials have said the law simply clarifies that teachers should stick to the existing curriculum. But critics have said it marginalised young LGBT people.

Mr DeSantis has repeatedly said Florida is the state where “woke goes to die”.

Florida is trying to have more control over the land Walt Disney World is located on. (Photo by Bryan R. Smith / AFP)

Last year, former Disney CEO Bob Chapek called Mr DeSantis “to express our disappointment and concern that if the legislation becomes law, it could be used to unfairly target gay, lesbian, non-binary and transgender kids and families.”.

Since then, Mr DeSantis has had the company, worth $270bn, in his sights.

On Wednesday, the Walt Disney Company confirmed it was suing Mr DeSantis after he axed unique powers that gave the firm a large amount of control over how the land its Disneyworld theme park sits on in Orlando was used.

The House of Mouse has said Mr DeSantis, his five-member board that oversees the now-defunct Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID) and other state officials of launching “a targeted campaign of government retaliation” against the company, according to a lawsuit filed in the federal court of the Northern District of Florida, reported the New York Post.

Disney has said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has “retaliated” against the company because it disagreed with him. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

The lawsuit was filed minutes after the oversight board struck down last-minute agreements made between Disney and the board that oversees the 10,000 hectare resort complex in Orlando.

“Today’s action is the latest strike: At the Governor’s bidding, the State’s oversight board has purported to ‘void’ publicly noticed and duly agreed development contracts, which had laid the foundation for billions of Disney’s investment dollars and thousands of jobs,” Disney said in its court filing with US District Court for the Northern District of Florida.

“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, jeopardises its economic future in the region, and violates its constitutional rights,” the company alleged in a court filing.

“This government action was patently retaliatory, patently anti-business, and patently unconstitutional,” Disney said.

“But the Governor and his allies have made clear they do not care and will not stop.”

Students in Miami protest during a statewide walkout on April 21, 2023 in protest of what they say is an assault on educational freedom by Ron DeSantis and the Republican-controlled legislature. (Photo by JOE RAEDLE / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Disney cited several statements by Mr DeSantis, including his vow to “void the development agreement” as well as “to look at things like taxes on the hotels,” “tolls on the roads,” “developing some of the property that the district owns” with “more amusement parks,” and even putting a ‘state prison’ next to Walt Disney World.”

The board of supervisors which runs the newly christened Central Florida Tourism Oversight District operates as a self-governing authority over issues like taxation and maintenance of public works in and around the Disney theme parks.

Just a day before the February vote, RCID struck a deal which essentially gave Disney the authority to oversee zoning and development in the district for the next three decades.

Mr DeSantis blasted Disney for the move and vowed to nullify it.

Last week, the five-member board hand-picked by Mr DeSantis vowed to undo the “sweetheart” development deal.

“Regardless of your politics, nobody should favour outdated legislation that elevates a corporation above the public good,” Martin Garcia, the chairman of Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, said.

Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO Robert Iger. (Photo by CHIP SOMODEVILLA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)

“In seeking to improve the functioning of the district, nothing is off the table for us.”

Mr Garcia also claimed that the new board had “wanted to work with Disney, but Disney decided they didn’t want to work with us. It was Disney’s way or the highway.”

The Post has sought comment from Disney.

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll of 1005 US adults finds that nearly half of Republican respondents — 44 per cent — held a more positive view of the Florida governor over his stance toward Disney.

Bob Iger, the CEO of Disney, recently hit out at Mr DeSantis, calling his actions toward the company “anti-business” and “anti-Florida”.

Mr Iger recently said in an interview with Time, that he’d be willing to discuss the situation.

“If the governor of Florida wants to meet with me to discuss all of this, of course, I would be glad to do that.

“You know, I’m one that typically has respected our elected officials and the responsibility that they have, and there would be no reason why I wouldn’t do that.”