Disney is suing Gov. Ron DeSantis and accusing him of trying to 'weaponize government power' over the company

• Disney is suing Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida.
• The company alleges DeSantis tried to "weaponize government power" over the company. 
• It also alleges DeSantis' continued action against Disney "threatens Disney's business operations."

Walt Disney World sued Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida on Wednesday, alleging that he tried to "weaponize government power" over the company.

The suit, filed by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts US Inc., alleges that DeSantis and his office have engaged in "a targeted campaign of government retaliation" against Disney that was "orchestrated at every step by Governor DeSantis as punishment for Disney's protected speech."

The suit says DeSantis' continued action against Disney "threatens Disney's business operations, jeopardizes its economic future in the region, and violates its constitutional rights."

Walt Disney Co., the parent company of Walt Disney Parks and Resort, is headquartered in Burbank, California, but the company holds powerful sway in Florida through Walt Disney World, which has roughly 80,000 employees and is the state's biggest tourist attraction.

The latest move by the company is an escalation after DeSantis threatened changes to Disney's special tax district, with help from both the Florida Legislature and the board he appointed to oversee the district. He even floated the idea of building a state prison on the 40 square miles of land that borders the resort and theme park.

Last week, DeSantis' newly appointed board said "nothing is off the table" as it took on a major overhaul of the area. In the mix were higher taxes, more regulations, building workforce affordable housing, and exploring the sale of utilities the district owns. 

The DeSantis-Disney feud started when the company's executives publicly pledged to work to repeal a DeSantis-backed school-curriculum bill that Democrats have termed the "Don't Say Gay" bill.

The law initially at the center of the dispute, formally known as the Parental Rights in Education Act, banned classroom instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation for up to third grade. Last week, the DeSantis administration expanded it to 12th grade, limiting discussions to sex-education classes or those "required by existing state standards."

As retaliation to the Disney executives' pledges, DeSantis took aim at a decadeslong provision that gives Disney special self-governing privileges in Florida. Unlike its rival parks Universal Studios and SeaWorld, Disney doesn't have to run its plans by zoning commissions or building-inspection departments. This is intended to make its operations run more efficiently, which saves it time and money.

To subvert DeSantis, Disney stealthily made a deal with the previous board that controlled the district, one that would allow the theme park and resort to maintain control of its land virtually in perpetuity.

Disney filed its lawsuit as DeSantis was out of the US on an international business trip that included a stop in Japan. The case has been assigned to Judge Mark Walker, an appointee of President Barack Obama who previously blocked a DeSantis-backed law that restricted how workplaces instituted diversity, equity, and inclusion trainings. 

"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," Taryn Fenske, DeSantis' communications director, said when asked about the lawsuit. "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."

The lawsuit also came shortly after another public meeting with the governor-appointed board that oversees Disney. In that meeting, an attorney for the board argued that Disney had improperly struck its 11th-hour deal to maintain control over its land.

"What our lawyers have told us is that this is — factually and legally — an absolute legal mess," Martin Garcia, the chair of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, said. "It will not work."