Disney updates lawsuit against DeSantis to add new incident

The Disney lawsuit asks a federal judge to undo the governor’s seizure of the theme park district and the actions of the oversight board on the grounds that they violated the company’s free speech rights.

Oversight board members sued Disney in state court last week to maintain its control over the construction and design of Disney World, nearly a week after the company filed the lawsuit. It claims the agreement between the company and the former board member “reeks of backroom dealing”.

Disney and DeSantis have been engaged in a tug-of-war for more than a year, and the governor has come under fire as he prepares to launch an expected presidential campaign in the coming weeks.

The fight began last year after Disney, beset by intense internal and external pressure, spoke out against a state law banning the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity in lower grades classrooms, a policy critics dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.”

As punishment, DeSantis took over Disney World’s autonomous district through legislation passed by Florida lawmakers and appointed a new board of supervisors to oversee municipal services for the sprawling theme park and hotel. But before the new board took office, the company struck a deal with former supervisory board members that stripped the new supervisors of design and construction powers.

The Florida Legislature created the Disney Autonomous Region, which was instrumental in the company’s decision to build near Orlando in the 1960s. The company told the state at the time that it planned to build a city of the future that would include innovations in transportation systems and urban planning, so the company needed autonomy in building and deciding how to use the land. The futuristic city never materialized and instead evolved into a second theme park that opened in 1982.

—-

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at @MikeSchneiderAP