U.S. judge blocks Florida law curbing professor speech

[groundloop]

Source: Reuters

A U.S. judge on Thursday blocked key provisions of a Florida state law that curbs professors from endorsing particular viewpoints in public university classrooms, calling the measure "positively dystopian" in the latest blow to the Republican-enacted measure.

Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker in Tallahassee said in a 139-page ruling that Florida's Individual Freedom Act, also known as the Stop WOKE Act, would have unlawfully required public university professors to self-censor.

His ruling came in consolidated lawsuits filed by professors and students challenging the Individual Freedom Act, which Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis championed and signed into law in April. Critics said it amounted to a ban on Florida educators from endorsing certain race and gender concepts.

A professor, for instance, under the law would no longer be able to "express approval of affirmative action as an idea worthy of merit" during class instruction, the court said.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-judge-blocks-florida-law-curbing-professor-speech-2022-11-17/

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This is good news, but more than likely the case will wind up being decided by 45*'s Supreme Court.

[grumpyduck]

1. Fuck you, Ronnie!

[Casady1]

2. I actually think the supreme court

would smack this down.

[MyOwnPeace]

3. Well, I must say.......

you have more confidence in them than I do. This is made up of the group that attended the latest Federalist Society banquet and got a standing ovation (not that the 'Justices' would be showing any 'political inclination' - right?).

[Casady1]

11. I do know that

but academic freedom at the college level is important to everyone. Even them.

[MyOwnPeace]

13. Yes - it is (has been) 'standing precedent' - just like Roe v. Wade........

[republianmushroom]

19. I think you are right

[Cha]

4. TY.. Very Good News! nt

[GreenWave]

5. Another blow to his dreams of fascism.

[The Unmitigated Gall]

6. Pukes stand for personal freedom?

Horseshit.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

7. Judge halts DeSantis' law censoring public university professors from expressing "woke" views

Link to tweet

[SouthernDem4ever]

8. "good news, but more than likely the case will wind up being decided by 45*'s Supreme Court"

True, with white supremacists like Clarence Thomas on the court.

[tishaLA]

9. They call censoring professors (and others) "The Individual Freedom Act"

People probably invoke Orwell too much, but I'll do it again because this is the most Orwellian thing I've seen in a while.

How they thought something so blatantly unconstitutional would survive a court challenge is beyond me.

[ShazzieB]

17. I was not aware of this.

And yes, how incredibly and creepily Orwellian!

[paleotn]

10. That was an easy one.

[SheltieLover]

12. Academic Freedom 1, deathsatan 0

[mountain grammy]

14. guess Florida can pass any law it wants

as long as it includes the word "freedom" as it does exactly the opposite.

[obamanut2012]

15. This also affects university staff and non-,teaching faculty

Like librarians and registrars. The difference is staff and non-teaching faculty do not have union protection.

I wish every news story would add that. It is even more insidious. Most Florida state universities and state colleges have greatly abandoned diversity events, diversity librarians, women center staff, safe zone training, etc. Safe zone stickers outside offices have been removed.

[patphil]

16. We're talking about adults here.

It's not about protecting children. The law was censorship, plain and simple.
Besides, even in a public college/university the students pay tuition. They deserve to have free and open discussion of virtually any topic they are willing to engage in while in the classroom.

[ShazzieB]

18. Well stated.

Ths law is absolutely horrifying!

[Timeflyer]

20. Hooray, FL judge fighting DeSatan's "stop woke" decree!

The little bully prioritized hyping "culture wars" and denying COVID science, over dealing with human-caused climate change, environmental degradation, impossible homeowners insurance rates. POS must never be President!

[ck4829]

21. Kick