STOP WOKE ACT

A federal judge sided with the state of Florida regarding the "Stop WOKE Act" that Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law, saying the state did not violate a court order.

ORLANDO, Fla. — The governor’s office is putting pressure on universities across the state as part of support for the Stop WOKE Act. Ron DeSantis sent a letter this week requiring all state university and college systems to report expenditures and resources utilized for campus activities related to diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as critical race theory. Florida is where woke goes to die,” DeSantis said during his recent inauguration. But while hundreds cheered in support during the governor’s inauguration Monday, in Central Florida, university professors are not feeling the same way. Cox teaches classes on racial inequality, but he stopped teaching those classes in the fall because of the act.

Someday, progressives may be in a position to abuse a new Florida law.

Disputing that the measure violates the First Amendment, the state this week urged a federal appeals court to toss out an injunction against a new law that placed restrictions on discriminatory workplace training.

Florida's laws against race-related instruction, passed in a GOP panic around 'critical race theory', could be used to strip professors of tenure.

In a 91-page complaint, lawyers for the USF group raised a series of arguments that the law violates speech rights.

UCF has now removed statements about expressing the need for anti-racism after house bill HB7 went into effect on July 1. Assistant Vice President Chad Binette said the removal of the statements were due to the statements being seen as creating a potential unwelcoming environment for all the University’s faculty and students. “UCF is committed to building a culture that values respect, civil discourse, and creating a sense of belonging,” Binette said. “This is a complete infringement of academic freedom,” Gleig said. “The statement was crafted over a period of time with dialogue and input across a twenty person plus faculty trained in philosophy, religion and cultural studies and the humanities.”

Just last week, the university said "freedom of speech...and academic freedom are at the core of our values"

Previous clashes between Republican lawmakers and prominent businesses in the states they control have not always worked out as planned.

The bill now moves to the desk of Governor Ron DeSantis, who has expressed his support.

"You think about what MLK stood for," DeSantis said, citing the "I Have a Dream" speech while announcing the Stop WOKE Act.