Florida's 'Stop WOKE' Act Faces Legal Setback Ahead of Supreme Court Review

WHO:

CNBC - Judge Britt Grant, an appointee of President Trump, authored the majority opinion.

CNBC - Judge Barbara Lagoa, another Trump appointee, dissented in the ruling.

Orlando Sentinel - Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier praised Judge Lagoa after the ruling.

Orlando Sentinel - Leah Watson, senior staff attorney with the ACLU's Racial Justice Program, commented on the ruling.

Orlando Sentinel - LeRoy Pernell, a Florida A&M University College of Law professor, was the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit.

WHAT:

CNBC - The ruling is described as a "major blow" to Governor Ron DeSantis' culture war policies.

Orlando Sentinel - The law was formally called the “Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees (WOKE) Act.”

Orlando Sentinel - The ruling is the first time an appellate court has found broad academic censorship laws unconstitutional, according to the ACLU.

Orlando Sentinel - The ruling was issued by a three-judge panel, which affirmed a preliminary injunction, meaning the law remains blocked while the case continues.

Orlando Sentinel - The state has two options to reverse the ruling: seek reconsideration from the full 11th Circuit Court of Appeals or appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

CNBC - The ruling is described as a "major blow" to Governor Ron DeSantis' culture war policies.

CNBC - The majority opinion stated that Florida's law represents a "breathtaking assertion of power to ban unpopular ideas from public discourse."

Orlando Sentinel - The law also barred private companies from providing diversity, equity, and inclusion trainings, which was previously struck down in March 2024.

Orlando Sentinel - The ruling is the first time an appellate court has found broad academic censorship laws unconstitutional, according to the ACLU.

CNBC - The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled that Florida's "Stop WOKE Act" violates the First Amendment.

CNBC - The court's 2-1 decision blocks Florida from enforcing the higher-education provisions of the Stop WOKE Act.

Orlando Sentinel - The law restricted what educators could say about discrimination, sexism, and bias, imposing penalties on faculty who violated it.

Orlando Sentinel - The law was previously struck down in March 2024 regarding its restrictions on workplace training.

Orlando Sentinel - The ruling is the first time an appellate court has found broad academic censorship laws unconstitutional.

WHERE:

CNBC - The ruling was issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, based in Atlanta.

Orlando Sentinel - The law applies to public colleges and universities in Florida.

WHEN:

CNBC - The Stop WOKE Act was enacted in 2022.

Orlando Sentinel - The ruling was issued on a Tuesday, but no specific date was provided.

WHY:

Orlando Sentinel - The law was promoted to fight what conservatives view as "woke indoctrination," which they consider a form of discrimination.

CNBC - The law was part of Governor Ron DeSantis' campaign against critical race theory and "woke" ideology.

Orlando Sentinel - The law aimed to prevent what conservatives viewed as "woke indoctrination" in education.

HOW:

Orlando Sentinel - The law imposed penalties, including fines and termination, on faculty who violated its provisions by giving their own opinions or straying from the course curriculum.

CNBC - The law barred instruction that "espouses, promotes, advances, inculcates, or compels" students to believe certain concepts related to race and sex.

Orlando Sentinel - The law imposed penalties, including fines and termination, on faculty who violated its provisions.

(UPDATED July 8, 2026 20:25 UTC)

A three-judge panel has issued a ruling that is being described as a "major blow" to Governor Ron DeSantis' culture war policies, specifically targeting the law known as the “Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees (WOKE) Act.” This decision marks the first time an appellate court has deemed broad academic censorship laws unconstitutional, and it affirms a preliminary injunction that keeps the law blocked while the case continues. The state now has two options to reverse this ruling: it can either seek reconsideration from the full 11th Circuit Court of Appeals or appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

(UPDATED July 8, 2026 17:28 UTC)

A recent ruling has dealt a major blow to Governor Ron DeSantis' culture war policies, with the majority opinion stating that Florida's law represents a "breathtaking assertion of power to ban unpopular ideas from public discourse." This law, which previously barred private companies from offering diversity, equity, and inclusion trainings, was struck down as unconstitutional by an appellate court, marking a significant victory for the ACLU against broad academic censorship laws. Promoted by conservatives to combat what they see as "woke indoctrination," the law imposed severe penalties on faculty who expressed their own opinions or deviated from the established curriculum.

(UPDATED July 8, 2026 16:34 UTC)

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, based in Atlanta, has ruled that Florida's "Stop WOKE Act" violates the First Amendment, blocking the state from enforcing its higher-education provisions. This 2-1 decision marks the first time an appellate court has deemed broad academic censorship laws unconstitutional, as the law had previously been struck down in March 2024 regarding workplace training restrictions. The ruling was authored by Judge Britt Grant, a Trump appointee, with Judge Barbara Lagoa dissenting, while Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier praised Lagoa following the decision.