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The judge said the act violates the First Amendment and it gives the state too much power over what viewpoints matter.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A local plaintiff in the lawsuit to stop the Stop Woke Act say she’s happy, saying it’s not right to ignore the history of this country.
The act would prohibit schools or and companies from teaching either students or employees lessons that might make some feel guilty for past injustices.
Gov. Ron DeSantis stands behind it but those behind the Jacksonville-based lawsuit are celebrating the judge’s order.
“When we talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion it is never about guilt or shame or blame. It’s about empathy and understanding the true history of this country,” said Tammy Hodo, president of All Things Diverse.
She sued to block the stop woke act. Her company provides professional diversity training. Hodo says the law prevents important conversations from taking place at school and at work.
DeSantis does not agree. In 2021 he began a vocal campaign against critical race theory
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“We won’t allow Florida tax dollars to be spent teaching kids to hate our country or to hate each other,” said DeSantis.
Hodo said the proposed legislation stopped conversations from taking place and, “let’s make it seem like we are a colorblind society, that everyone has equal access to everything and we are not going to talk about the historical atrocities that were committed that continue to have systemic impacts on a particular community,” said Hodo.
In a statement sent to First Coast News from the governors office, Spokesperson Taryn Fenseke, said DeSantis disagrees with the judges decision saying, “An open minded and critical environment necessitates that one is free from discrimination. We attend to appeal.”
For Hodo even if the Governor appeals she says the Jacksonville plaintiffs. won’t stop fighting.
“The idea is that we don’t repeat history and that we actually understand what has happened in the past so I am happy to see that you know he has overturned this and said it could not be implemented,” said Hodo.
In his order the judge said college professors are critical to a healthy democracy, and a state should not decide which viewpoints are worthy and which are not.
