A federal judge determined the “Stop WOKE Act,” which forbids institutions from teaching critical race theory lectures, as well as other “woke” principles on college campuses, was not violated by the administration of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
No Breach of Order
As reported by the Orlando Sentinel, U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker stated on Thursday he would not be reluctant to enforce cooperation with its preliminary injunction.
Yet, the court determined there has not been any breach of the order at this time.
The “Stop WOKE Act,” often referred to as the “Stop Wrongs To Our Kids and Employees Act,” was contested by plaintiffs who claimed the DeSantis administration disregarded a preliminary injunction that bars the execution of certain provisions of the statute.
In a memo to universities, Chris Spencer, director of Florida’s Office of Policy and Budget, urged them to give a full list of all personnel, initiatives, and campus activities concerning diversity, fairness, and inclusion, as well as critical race theory.
The plaintiffs objected to this.
Federal judge hands DeSantis admin win over 'Stop WOKE Act' https://t.co/63WwfVlb6E
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 15, 2023
The legislation was presented by DeSantis in December 2021; it was approved last April.
According to the law, putting students or employees through training or teaching that endorses or compels such individuals to adopt specified beliefs constitutes discrimination on the basis of race, sex, or national origin, which is unlawful.
In two cases, professors and a few students at public schools in the state have contested the rule, claiming it violates the First Amendment and confused academics at public colleges and universities, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Walker issued an interim injunction and dubbed the measure “positively dystopian” in November.
Walker said in November that their professors are essential to a strong democracy. The state of Florida’s choice to select which viewpoints are deserving of enlightenment and which should remain in the shadows has ramifications for us all.
He said democracy will perish in the shadows if its “priests of democracy” are not permitted to cast light on difficult concepts.
America's governor got to love it!! he prevails once again!!
Federal judge hands DeSantis admin win over 'Stop WOKE Act'https://t.co/AfYWv7DDFS
— Nicholas aka The Patriot 💯🇮🇹🇺🇸 (@Patriot4life218) January 15, 2023
Leah Watson, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, claimed in a comment to Law360 that the memo distributed to public schools and universities on December 28 is a misguided attempt to get around the preliminary injunction.
The Executive Office of the Governor’s mandate, according to Watson, is a poorly disguised effort to skirt the constraints of the preliminary injunction by removing funds for valuable education on systemic racism and sexism. This raises more concerns.
Memo About Yearly Budget
We’ll keep an eye out for any enforcement of the Stop WOKE Act’s unlawful sections and work to make sure the court’s preliminary injunction is followed.
As reported by the Orlando Sentinel, the state responded on Thursday, claiming the memo sent to state schools and institutions on December 28 was a result of the governor’s yearly budgetary process.
