A federal appeals court ruled that Florida’s “Stop WOKE Act” violates the First Amendment by restricting how professors can express views on race, gender, and related topics in public higher education. In a divided 2-1 decision, the Eleventh Circuit kept the existing injunction in place, preventing enforcement across Florida’s 40 public colleges and universities. The ruling rejected Florida’s argument that university faculty classroom speech can be controlled by the state because faculty are state employees. The court said requiring professors to advance an official government position imposes the “pall of orthodoxy” the First Amendment forbids, a line expected to influence other state efforts that look to Florida as a model for higher-education restrictions. The case was framed within a broader political push against diversity programs and critical race theory, with the act enacted in 2022 but never taking effect due to earlier court blocking.