The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit has upheld an injunction preventing Florida from enforcing its so-called Stop WOKE Act in colleges and universities. In a 2-1 decision, the court struck down the state’s attempt to restrict protected speech regarding racism and gender-based discrimination in higher education, as Molly Sprayregen reported for LGBTQ Nation. The ruling described the legislation as a “breathtaking assertion of power” that improperly attempts to ban unpopular ideas from academic spaces.
Championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the law broadly forbids instruction that could compel a student to feel distressed or responsible for historical actions associated with their race, sex, or national origin. Critics and civil rights advocates have long warned that the vaguely written statute effectively serves as a gag order, discouraging educators from teaching essential lessons about diversity, social privilege, and societal prejudice.
The ACLU, which originally filed the lawsuit in 2022 alongside educators, celebrated the appellate court’s decision as a critical victory for academic freedom. The ruling reinforces a strong legal precedent that higher education and classroom discourse cannot be dictated by political whims or state-sponsored ideological mandates.
Read Molly Sprayregen’s full breakdown of the court’s decision, the dissenting judge’s argument, and the broader implications for academic freedom at the original article: https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/07/court-issues-major-blow-to-desantiss-stop-woke-act-calls-it-a-breathtaking-assertion-of-power/
