GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A board backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday said it will counter-sue Disney over the state’s long-running dispute for authority of the entertainment giant’s central Florida theme park.

The move further escalates the ongoing feud and comes less than a week after Disney sued DeSantis and the board in federal court, claiming that the governor retaliated against it for speaking out against Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill, better known as “Don’t Say Gay.”

Martin Garcia, chair of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, said during a meeting Monday that Disney left it with very few options after it launched its lawsuit last week.

“Disney sued us, we have no choice now but to respond,” he said. “The district will seek justice in state court here in central Florida where both it and Disney reside and do business.”

The lawsuit is expected to be filed later Monday.

Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The ongoing fight between Disney and DeSantis over control of its Florida-based theme parks pits the California-based entertainment giant against a powerful governor who is expected to run for president. DeSantis has touted his battle with Disney as a fight against “woke” companies but in recent weeks has faced growing criticism from Republicans for continuing the clash.

Most recently, Speaker Kevin McCarthy said last week that the governor should “sit down and negotiate” with the company while GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy on Sunday said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that DeSantis “really lost it here. He’s gone on the wrong path.”

The fight has also provided fuel for Democrats as they seek to attack DeSantis. President Joe Biden, during Saturday’s White House Correspondent’s Dinner, joked: “I had a lot of Ron DeSantis jokes ready, but Mickey Mouse beat the hell out of me and got to them first.”

But it’s not just national figures who are criticizing DeSantis. During Monday’s board meeting in central Florida, a local resident, Douglas Dixon, told board members that he supported DeSantis until he started the “stupid war.”

“You guys are terrible and I honestly think you should resign,” Dixon said.