A federal appeals court Thursday kept on hold a controversial Florida law that restricts the way race-related concepts can be taught in universities.
Attorneys for the state went to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker in November issued a preliminary injunction against the law, finding that it violated First Amendment rights.
The state asked the Atlanta-based appeals court for a stay of the injunction — which would have allowed the law’s restrictions to be in effect while the legal battle played out.
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But a three-judge appeals court panel issued a two-paragraph order Thursday denying the state’s request for a stay.
The appeals court did not explain its decision.
The law has been a priority of Gov. Ron DeSantis, who dubbed it the “Stop Wrongs To Our Kids and Employees Act,” or “Stop WOKE Act.”
It lists a series of race-related concepts and says it would constitute discrimination if students are subjected to instruction that “espouses, promotes, advances, inculcates or compels” them to believe the concepts.
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In issuing the injunction, Walker described the law as “positively dystopian.” The law also placed restrictions on how race-related concepts can be addressed in workplace training.
Walker in September issued an injunction against the workplace-training portion of the law, and an appeal of that ruling also is pending.
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