Federal Judge temporarily blocks DeSantis' 'Stop WOKE Act'

The Chief Judge of the Northern District of Florida, Mark Walker, granted an injuction to block the 'Stop WOKE Act.' The law is one of the initiatives proposed by Governor Ron DeSantis to fight against the impositions of the Woke culture. The judge believes the law could limit free speech around issues such as racism in private businesses and schools.

First Amendment Upside Down

The counsel linked the state's situation with the 'Stop WOKE Act' to the 'alternate dimension' of the Stranger Things series. "Recently, Florida has seemed like a First Amendment upside down. Normally, the First Amendment bars the state from burdening speech, while private actors may burden speech freely. But in Florida, the First Amendment apparently bars private actors from burdening speech, while the state may burden speech freely," Judge Walker argues.

The judge says this because the First Amendment prohibits the government from censoring the private sphere, but it does not prevent private actors from imposing speech within their own sphere.

Let Florida make its case

"If Florida truly believes we live in a post-racial society, then let it make its case. But it cannot win the argument by muzzling its opponents." DeSantis introduced the bill in July 2021 as one of the measures included within his election platform. It is intended to protect any student or employee from indoctrination on the theory of 'systemic racism' in the United States.