11th Circuit Blocks Major Stop WOKE Act Provisions in Florida Higher Education

A federal appeals court (11th Circuit) ruled 2-1 that parts of Florida's Stop WOKE Act unlawfully chill academic speech by restricting what public university professors can discuss about race, gender and bias, upholding an injunction against enforcement and signaling First Amendment limits on the law’s reach in higher education. The decision follows years of controversy over DEI and anti-woke legislation; Florida may seek full-court rehearing or Supreme Court review. The ACLU praised the ruling as a win for academic freedom.