Florida’s efforts to constrain higher-education accreditation and restrict classroom discussion on race and gender both suffered major setbacks in federal appeals decisions. In one ruling, an appeals court rejected Florida’s legal challenge to the accreditation system, saying the accreditation requirement is reasonable and connected to Congress’s goal of routing federal aid to “high quality institutions.” Separately, another appeals court decision struck down the higher-education provisions of Florida’s “Stop WOKE” law as violating the First Amendment. The court permanently blocked enforcement at colleges, emphasizing that government-paid professors do not give the state unlimited control over classroom speech. Together, the decisions limit states’ ability to use accreditation litigation and compelled speech restrictions as levers over public university instruction and eligibility for federal funds.