Federal Appeals Court Blocks Florida's 'Stop WOKE' Act on First Amendment Grounds
On July 7, 2026, a divided 11th Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled 2-1 that Florida's 'Stop WOKE Act'—a 2022 law restricting public university professors' teaching on race and gender—violates the First Amendment. The court rejected the state's government speech argument, citing academic freedom protections. The law remains blocked, with potential appeals to the full circuit or U.S. Supreme Court. The ruling sets up a likely high-profile legal battle over classroom speech limits.
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Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down Florida's Stop WOKE Act as Unconstitutional
A federal appeals court has struck down key provisions of Florida's Stop WOKE Act, ruling that the law violates the First Amendment by imposing viewpoint-based restrictions on college classrooms and private workplaces. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a 2022 ruling that blocked the law's application to universities, stating that the government cannot force an official orthodoxy in academic settings. The law, signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2022, aimed to prohibit discussions promoting certain concepts related to race, sex, and privilege. Courts have consistently found the law 'positively dystopian' for banning disfavored viewpoints while allowing state-approved ones. The ruling emphasizes that the marketplace of ideas, not government censorship, should determine the merits of competing ideologies.
Reason.comFederal Appeals Court Strikes Down Florida's Stop WOKE Act on First Amendment Grounds
A federal appeals court has struck down key provisions of Florida's Stop WOKE Act, ruling that the law violates the First Amendment by imposing government orthodoxy in college classrooms. The 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals upheld a 2022 district court ruling that blocked the law's application to public universities. The law, signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2022, aimed to restrict discussions of racism, sexism, and history in schools, colleges, and workplaces. The court found that the state cannot ban professors from expressing disfavored viewpoints while permitting opposite viewpoints. Judge Britt C. Grant wrote that 'forcing an official government line—in a college classroom of all places—is exactly the pall of orthodoxy that the First Amendment will not tolerate.' The ruling allows that Florida may be correct about the nature of the targeted ideas, but the government cannot impose its own orthodoxy to combat perceived wrong ideology.
Reason.comStop WOKE Is Stopped—But Reform of Higher Education Will Go On
On July 7, 2026, a panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court's injunction against Florida's Stop WOKE Act, which banned public university employees from promoting certain concepts about racial superiority and privilege. Judge Britt Grant's majority opinion ruled the law likely violates the First Amendment due to viewpoint discrimination, citing public universities' role as centers of intellectual inquiry. Judge Barbara Lagoa dissented, noting the law's narrow application and that professors seeking to enjoin it effectively admitted intent to indoctrinate. The article argues that while this decision is a setback, states will pursue broader reforms to reclaim control of public education from faculty perceived as pushing ideological agendas.
City JournalStop WOKE Is Stopped—But Reform of Higher Education Will Go On
A panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court's injunction against Florida's Stop WOKE Act on July 7, 2026, ruling that the law likely violates the First Amendment by engaging in viewpoint discrimination in public university classrooms. The law had banned professors from endorsing concepts such as racial superiority or privilege. Judge Britt Grant's majority opinion emphasized that public universities are constitutionally distinct centers of intellectual inquiry, and coercing faculty to avoid certain ideas is dangerous to academic freedom. Judge Barbara Lagoa dissented, arguing the law was narrow and did not bar discussion or debate. The article argues that despite this legal setback, states will pursue broader reforms to wrest control of public education from faculty who seek to indoctrinate students, suggesting a deeper overhaul of higher education is needed.
City JournalStop WOKE Is Stopped—But Reform of Higher Education Will Go On
On July 7, 2026, a panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court's injunction against Florida's Stop WOKE Act, which banned public university employees from promoting concepts about racial superiority and privilege. The court ruled the law likely violates the First Amendment due to viewpoint discrimination, citing academic freedom protections. Judge Britt Grant's majority opinion emphasized that public universities are centers of intellectual inquiry. However, the article argues that the ruling highlights professors' intent to indoctrinate, and that states will pursue broader reforms of higher education through constitutional means. Judge Barbara Lagoa dissented, noting the law's narrow scope and that professors seeking to enjoin it effectively admitted intent to indoctrinate.
City JournalEleventh Circuit Panel Strikes Down Florida University Professor Speech Restrictions in Stop W.O.K.E. Act
A panel of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, struck down provisions of Florida's 'Stop W.O.K.E. Act' that restricted university professors' speech on topics related to race and sex. The law, promoted by Governor Ron DeSantis, prohibited instruction that 'espouses, promotes, advances, inculcates, or compels' students to believe eight specific concepts, such as that one race is inherently superior or that meritocracy is racist. The majority opinion, written by Judge Britt Grant and joined by Judge Charles Wilson, rejected the state's argument that the restrictions were permissible under the government speech doctrine, noting that the precedent cited by Florida involved public monuments and license plates, not academic teaching. The court emphasized that universities have traditionally exercised little control over postsecondary classroom speech. The ruling allows professors to introduce the ideas neutrally but bars endorsement, though the scope beyond the classroom remains unclear.
Reason.comEleventh Circuit Panel Strikes Down Florida's Stop W.O.K.E. Act Restrictions on University Professor Speech
A divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, in a 2-1 vote, struck down key provisions of Florida's 'Stop W.O.K.E. Act' that restricted what university professors could teach about race and sex. The ruling in Pernell v. Fla. Bd. of Governors, authored by Judge Britt Grant and joined by Judge Charles Wilson, held that the law's prohibition on 'training or instruction that espouses, promotes, advances, inculcates, or compels' students to believe eight specific concepts related to race and sex violated the First Amendment. The court rejected the state's argument that the restrictions constituted permissible government speech, distinguishing the case from precedents involving license plates or monuments. The majority relied heavily on the Eleventh Circuit's precedent in Bishop v. Aronov, which protects academic freedom. The law, promoted by Governor Ron DeSantis, had barred teaching concepts such as that one race is inherently racist or that merit and colorblindness are racist. The dissent argued for greater deference to state control over public university curricula.
Reason.comEleventh Circuit Panel Strikes Down Florida University Professor Speech Restrictions
A divided panel of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 vote, struck down key provisions of Florida's 'Stop W.O.K.E. Act' that restricted university professors' speech on race and sex. The ruling in Pernell v. Fla. Bd. of Governors of State Univ., authored by Judge Britt Grant, held that the law's prohibition on teaching or training that 'espouses, promotes, advances, inculcates, or compels' eight specific concepts about race and sex violated the First Amendment. The court rejected the state's argument that the law constituted permissible government speech, distinguishing it from cases about monuments or license plates. The panel found that the state had traditionally exercised little control over postsecondary classroom speech. The law, promoted by Governor Ron DeSantis, had barred instruction endorsing ideas such as that one race is inherently superior or that merit and hard work are racist, while allowing neutral discussion. The dissent argued for greater deference to the state's curricular authority.
Reason.comEleventh Circuit Panel Strikes Down Florida University Professor Speech Restrictions in Pernell v. Fla. Bd. of Governors
A divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, in a 2-1 vote, struck down provisions of Florida's 'Stop W.O.K.E. Act' that restricted university professors' speech on topics related to race and sex. The ruling in Pernell v. Fla. Bd. of Governors of State Univ., authored by Judge Britt Grant and joined by Judge Charles Wilson, held that the law's ban on 'training or instruction that espouses, promotes, advances, inculcates, or compels' students to believe eight specific concepts about race and sex violated the First Amendment. The court rejected the state's argument that the speech constituted 'government speech,' noting that the government speech doctrine applies to public monuments and license plates, not academic teaching. The law had prohibited promoting concepts such as that one race is inherently superior or that merit and hard work are racist. The court allowed criticism of these concepts and neutral discussion in an objective manner. The decision is based on the Eleventh Circuit precedent Bishop v. Aronov.
Reason.comFederal Appeals Court Blocks DeSantis' 'Stop WOKE' Act, Setting Stage for Supreme Court Battle
A divided federal appeals court in Florida ruled on July 7, 2026, that the 'Stop WOKE Act'—a 2022 law championed by Governor Ron DeSantis restricting how public college professors teach about race and gender—violates the First Amendment. The 2-1 decision by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, authored by Trump appointee Judge Britt Grant, rejected Florida's argument that professors' classroom speech belongs to the state. The ruling keeps the law blocked while the case continues. Florida can request a full circuit rehearing or appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Judge Barbara Lagoa, another Trump appointee, dissented, arguing the state has authority over state-sponsored instruction. The law had barred teaching concepts such as that individuals are inherently racist or sexist due to their race or sex.
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