July 30th 2024.
A recent ruling by a federal judge has put a stop to a controversial law in Florida known as the Stop WOKE Act. This law has been the center of much debate as it relates to the First Amendment and the right to free speech. On July 26th, Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker issued a permanent injunction against a specific portion of the law, which aimed to ban certain types of diversity and race-related training in private workplaces.
The language used in this portion of the law stated that any training or activity that promotes certain ideologies related to race, color, sex, or national origin would be considered discrimination. One of these concepts, as reported by The New Republic, suggests that members of one demographic are morally superior to others. This controversial provision has been a point of contention since the law was first signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2022.
Governor DeSantis and other GOP lawmakers in Florida have touted this law as a way to combat "wokeness" and critical race theory, which suggests that racism is ingrained in many U.S. institutions. However, the federal judge, who was appointed by President Obama, has consistently ruled against the law, deeming it unconstitutional.
The initial challenge to this portion of the Stop WOKE Act was brought forth by several companies, including a franchisee of Ben & Jerry's, a workplace diversity consulting firm, and a technology company. These businesses argued that the law forced them to censor themselves and limited important discussions about societal issues in the workplace.
Attorneys for the DeSantis Administration argued that the law did not restrict speech, but did acknowledge that it prevented businesses from forcing their employees to listen to certain viewpoints against their will. The federal judge has been critical of this law since the beginning, and has also issued a preliminary injunction against a separate portion that aimed to restrict how race-related concepts could be taught in universities.
In fact, in May of 2023, students were forced to receive new textbooks after the Black Lives Matter movement and references to George Floyd were removed. The law even went as far as to remove any mention of individuals kneeling during the national anthem from an elementary school textbook. This controversial law has been the subject of a hearing in front of an appeals court panel in June of 2024.
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