By Daniel Arkin -
NBC News
Walt Disney filed a lawsuit on Wednesday in federal court against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, accusing him of launching "a government campaign of retaliation" against him, the company said in a statement.
The company and DeSantis are in a dispute over control of the autonomous district in which the Disney World parks are located in Orlando, which the governor (probably a Republican candidate for the presidency in 2024) has tried to take away from the entertainment giant using his majority in the state Congress.
The conflict began when Disney (then directed by Bob Chapek) criticized state authorities for an educational law that critics dubbed "Don't say gay" (in English, Do not say gay) and that prohibits talking in class about orientation sexuality and gender identity.
The measure, signed into law by DeSantis in March 2022, has recently been expanded to all grade levels.
In the lawsuit, Disney alleges "it has no choice but to sue to protect" its employees, customers and business partners from "the relentless campaign" to "weaponize government powers against Disney in retaliation for having expressed a political point of view unpopular with hundreds of state officials".
