DeSantis-backed board will sue Disney in latest escalation

“Disney sued us, we have no choice now but to respond,” he said. “The district will seek justice in state court here in central Florida where both it and Disney reside and do business.”

The lawsuit is expected to be filed later Monday.

Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The ongoing fight between Disney and DeSantis over control of its Florida-based theme parks pits the California-based entertainment giant against a powerful governor who is expected to run for president. DeSantis has touted his battle with Disney as a fight against “woke” companies but in recent weeks has faced growing criticism from Republicans for continuing the clash.

Most recently, Speaker Kevin McCarthy said last week that the governor should “sit down and negotiate” with the company while GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy on Sunday said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that DeSantis “really lost it here. He’s gone on the wrong path.”

The fight has also provided fuel for Democrats as they seek to attack DeSantis. President Joe Biden, during Saturday’s White House Correspondent’s Dinner, joked: “I had a lot of Ron DeSantis jokes ready, but Mickey Mouse beat the hell out of me and got to them first.”

But it’s not just national figures who are criticizing DeSantis. During Monday’s board meeting in central Florida, a local resident, Douglas Dixon, told board members that he supported DeSantis until he started the “stupid war.”

“You guys are terrible and I honestly think you should resign,” Dixon said.

The yearlong fight started last year after Florida Republicans passed legislation that DeSantis signed into law, banning teachers from leading classroom lessons on gender identity and sexual orientation for students in kindergarten through third grade.

Disney’s former CEO, Bob Chapek, denounced the law and in response, DeSantis last year pushed the GOP-controlled Legislature to strip Disney of its self-governing status that the company has enjoyed for decades. Disney remains on of Florida’s biggest employers and has more than 70,000 employees in the state.

Through legislative moves, DeSantis appointed a new board to oversee Disney’s central Florida theme park. But Disney last February quietly signed a pact with the previous board that gave the company more authority.

The governor’s administration only learned of the new pact in March and later sought to invalidate the previous pact.