Federal Judge Blocks Piece of DeSantis' 'Stop Woke Act'

U.S. District Judge Mark Walker

A federal judge is barring a central piece of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' "Stop Woke Act" that restricts trainings about race in the workplace, issuing the blow Friday.

The bill, passed in 2022, aimed to restrict lessons on subjects like "white privilege" in schools and businesses. It was never able to be implemented for businesses as the state was sued and lost on the count of a violation of free speech protected by the Constitution.

Protect Democracy, the organization that represented businesses suing Florida in response to the "Stop Woke Act," issued a statement following the ruling.

"Today's decision serves as a powerful reminder that the First Amendment cannot be warped to serve the interests of elected officials," said Shalini Goel Agarwal, special counsel for the organization.

The law stated that lessons or trainings that provoked "guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress" due to a person's race, color, sex, or national origin were illegal.

A group of businesses challenged the law, claiming they were being forced to self-censor on "important societal matters" and kept "from engaging employees in robust discussion of ideas essential for improving their workplaces."

Attorneys for the DeSantis administration countered the argument, saying the law does not restrict speech and addresses only what employers can force employees to listen to, including "certain speech against their will" at the risk of losing their jobs.

How the policy applies to colleges and universities is still being challenged and awaiting a court ruling.

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