A federal judge has permanently blocked restrictions that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Republican lawmakers placed on discussing race-related issues in workplace training. This is part of the controversial “Stop WOKE Act,” officially called the Individual Freedom Act.
The Act, signed by the governor in 2022, aimed to stop teachings or mandatory workplace activities suggesting a person is privileged or oppressed based on their race, color, se*, or national origin.
On Friday, Chief US District Judge Mark Walker issued an order to permanently stop the law’s workplace training provisions, stating it violates free speech rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the US Constitution.
Judge Walker initially blocked the state from enforcing this law in August 2022, saying it discriminates based on viewpoint, violating the First Amendment, and is too vague, violating the Fourteenth Amendment. His latest order came after a federal appeals court in March upheld the initial block, agreeing the law infringes on employers’ free speech rights.
DeSantis’ office disagreed with the ruling, claiming it supports the idea that “companies have a right to indoctrinate their employees with racist and discriminatory ideologies.”
Several Florida businesses, represented by the group Protect Democracy, challenged the law in June 2022. Protect Democracy’s counsel, Shalini Goel Agarwal, emphasized the importance of the First Amendment and criticized censorship by politicians.
DeSantis has promoted the “Stop WOKE Act” as a stand against “indoctrination,” a theme he highlighted during his presidential campaign. The term “woke” has become divisive in US politics, representing awareness of social justice issues for some, while others use it to criticize progressive ideas about race.
Although DeSantis did not oppose making the March ruling permanent, he reiterated Florida’s right to protect employees during a news conference on Monday in Tampa. He stated that employees should have the right to opt out of “woke training” if it discriminates based on race, emphasizing that companies can still express their views.