A federal judge on Friday permanently blocked part of Florida’s “Stop Woke Act,” proposed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and other Republican lawmakers to ban critical race theory training in the workplace and education.
U.S. District Chief Judge Mark Walker granted a permanent injunction against the part of the law that banned race-related training in private workplaces, ruling that the 2022 law violated the First Amendment.
The Stop Wrongs To Our Kids and Employees Act, otherwise known as the Stop WOKE Act, was intended to prohibit teachings or business practices that tell individuals that members of a racial or ethnic group are inherently racist and should feel guilty for past actions committed by people of that racial or ethnic group.
It also prohibits the propagation of the idea that a person is privileged or oppressed because of their race or gender. The law further prohibits the idea that discrimination is acceptable to achieve diversity.
FEDERAL APPEALS COURT BLOCKS PART OF DESANTIS’S ‘STOP WOKE’ ACT ON CONSTITUTIONAL GROUNDS
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis delivers a policy speech at the Cradle of Aviation Museum on April 1, 2023, in Garden City, New York. (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)
It said that a mandatory training program or any other activity that “promotes, advances, advances, inculcates or coerces such individual (an employee) to believe any of the following concepts constitutes discrimination based on race, color, sex or national origin,” citing eight race-related concepts.
“[This is] “A powerful reminder that the First Amendment cannot be twisted to serve the interests of elected officials,” read a statement from attorney Shalini Goel Agarwal of Protect Democracy, who represented the plaintiffs in the case.
The part of the law devoted to education is not affected by the decision.
DeSantis has often referred to the law, saying that Florida is where “the woke go to die.”
FEDERAL JUDGE AWARDS DESANTIS ADMINISTRATION VICTORY ON ‘STOP WOKE ACT’
Governor DeSantis has often referred to the law, saying that Florida is where “the woke go to die.” (Photo by David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
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Walker had already issued a preliminary injunction in 2022 when he ruled that the workplace portion of the law was unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds, and the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that decision in March.
Separately, Walker also issued a preliminary injunction against the portion of the law that would limit how race-related concepts can be taught at Florida colleges and universities, according to Fox 35. An appeals court panel held a hearing in the case last month.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
