Disney's lawsuit alleges that the Republican governor led a "targeted campaign of government retaliation" against the company, infringing on Disney's free speech rights.
The entertainment company is contesting the legality of a new board appointed by DeSantis to govern the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, which encompasses the Walt Disney World resort.
According to Politico, Martin Garcia, the CFTOD board's chair, stated on Monday, "Disney sued us, we have no choice now but to respond. The district will seek justice in state court here in central Florida where both it and Disney reside and do business."
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On Monday morning, the CFTOD board convened and passed a motion to pursue legal action against Disney, which will be filed in state court. Disney's lawsuit against DeSantis, the board, and its five members requests a judge to invalidate the governor's takeover of the theme park District, which Disney had controlled for 55 years.
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In contrast, the CFTOD board's lawsuit aims to maintain its design and construction oversight in the district that governs Disney World's 25,000 acres. This comes after the previous Disney-controlled board transferred those powers to the company before the DeSantis-appointed board members held their first meeting earlier this year.
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Fox News Digital has contacted Disney to respond to the board's decision.
Disney's legal complaint is the latest development in an ongoing dispute between DeSantis and the company, which began last year when Disney campaigned to overturn Florida's Parental Rights in Education law. This legislation has been dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill by Democrats.
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In response, DeSantis pushed the Florida legislature to revoke Disney's self-governing authority and create a new board comprised of his appointees, which now controls the theme park's development. This board recently voted to nullify two development contracts that Disney signed in February.
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Last Thursday, while DeSantis was on a trip to Israel, more than 6,000 miles away from Florida, a summons was issued against him by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida about Disney's lawsuit.
Addressed to the governor's office in Tallahassee, the summons states, "A lawsuit has been filed against you," and instructs that "[w]ithin 21 days after service of this summons on you (not counting the day you received it)… you must serve on the plaintiff an answer to the attached complaint or a motion under Rule 12 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure."
Last Thursday, DeSantis, who was in Jerusalem then, said, "I don't think the suit has merit." He added, "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. The days of putting one company on a pedestal with no accountability are over in the state of Florida."
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