Disney, DeSantis legal fights ratchet up as company demands documents from Florida governor

By MIKE SCHNEIDER
Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The legal fights between Disney and Gov. Ron DeSantis ratcheted up this week. The Florida governor asked that the company’s First Amendment lawsuit against him be tossed from federal court. And Disney demanded documents, emails, texts and other communications from the governor’s office in a separate state court lawsuit against Walt Disney World’s governing district controlled by DeSantis appointees. The fight started last year when Disney publicly opposed a state law banning classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades. DeSantis retaliated by taking over the governing district for Disney’s theme park resort in Florida.