DeSantis' Culture Wars Take a Hit: What This Means for Academic Freedom The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has dealt a significant blow to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' signature "Stop WOKE Act," ruling that provisions restricting how professors can teach about race and gender at public colleges and universities violate the First Amendment.
The decision, which comes on the heels of a previous appeals court block on another part of the law, is a major setback for DeSantis' broader campaign against critical race theory, diversity programs, and what he calls "woke" ideology in schools and workplaces.
The Stop WOKE Act was designed to bar instruction that "espouses, promotes, advances, inculcates, or compels" students to believe certain concepts tied to race, sex, national origin, and privilege.