Justice upholds DeSantis and his Stop Woke Law

A federal court ruled that the Stop Woke law, which prohibits the promotion of critical race theory and other woke conventions on Florida college campuses, is not unconstitutional.

The regulation promoted by Governor Ron DeSantis and whose full name is Stop Wrongs To Our Kids and Employees Act, was challenged by some professors and students, who accused the state administration of failing to comply with a preliminary injunction that, in the plaintiffs' opinion, prevents the application of certain parts of the legislation.

The plaintiffs argued that compliance with a memo from the head of DeSantis' Office of Policy and Budget would violate a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of portions of the law. Chris Spencer, a top DeSantis lieutenant, ordered state education leaders to require colleges and universities to "provide a complete list of all campus personnel, programs and activities related to diversity, equity and inclusion and critical race theory."

The law, in effect since April, prevents schools and corporations from "subjecting any student or employee to training or instruction that advocates, promotes, advances, inculcates, or compels such person to believe that the specified concepts constitute discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, or national origin." The plaintiffs, for their part, challenged the law on the grounds that it has created confusion among faculty and constitutes an unconstitutional infringement of First Amendment rights.

Chief District Judge Mark Walker in November granted an injunction preventing the state from enforcing the law. However, it now agrees with the state of Florida: "While this court would not hesitate to compel compliance with its preliminary injunction, it finds that no violation of the injunction has occurred at this time."