Article Author:
Associated Press
Kurt Anderson
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Three lawsuits defended by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis targeting Florida laws restricting race-based discourse and analysis in business and education, the latest on Thursday Submitted by university professors and students, it claims to be blatantly unconstitutional.
The law, known as the "Stop WOKE" law, targets what DeSantis called "harmful" ideologies represented by critical racial theories. This ideology is the idea that racism is systemic in US institutions that help perpetuate white dominance in society.
The law states that members of some ethnic groups are inherently racist and should feel guilty for past actions committed by others. prohibits teachings or business practices that claim to be of It also prohibits the idea that it is acceptable.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court on Thursday, said the law would serve to "suppress broader demands to discuss, study, and address systemic inequalities." It claims to be equivalent to "censorship by motive". Minneapolis police account of George Floyd, a black man, May 2020.
“Instead of free and open academic inquiry and debate, faculty fear discussing topics of oppression, privilege, race, and gender inequality with which Congress disagrees. ,” the lawsuit states. “As a result, either students are denied access to knowledge outright, or instructors are forced to present incomplete or inaccurate information directed at Congress' own views.”
Conservatives view critical race theory not as an academic inquiry into truth and history, but rather as a division stemming from Marxism, which classifies people into categories of oppressors and oppressed. ideological imposition. Race.
This latest lawsuit joins two of his other lawsuits already pending in Tallahassee federal court. Her one group of K-12 teachers and students, as well as professors, said the law violated constitutional protections for freedom of expression, academic freedom, and access to information in public schools. claim to be.
Another lawsuit, filed by private groups such as Clearwater-based Honeyfund.com, focuses on corporate training that emphasizes diversity, inclusion, non-bias and crime prevention. It claims that the right to free speech is restricted because the program is violated by law. workplace harassment. Companies with 15 or more employees could face civil lawsuits over such practices.
The lawsuit alleges that the Honeyfund claims that private employers within their organizations "engage in an open and free exchange of information with employees to identify and address discrimination and harm." It states that it is trying to protect the right to
"The Stop WOKE Act is intended to promote government-preferred historical and social narratives and to engage in illegal speech that challenges those narratives," the lawsuit states.
All lawsuits are at various stages of legal proceedings and seek to declare the Stop WOKE Act unconstitutional. DeSantis has repeatedly said that losses at the lower court level are likely to be reversed by the generally more conservative courts of appeals.
DeSantis is running for re-election as governor this year and is widely seen as a candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. He bases his administration on cultural issues, wiping out what he calls "awakened" entities and philosophies centered specifically around issues of discrimination, including race, gender and sexual orientation. I'm here.
"With the rise of this awakened ideology, we see an attempt to truly outlaw our history and institutions. I see this awakening as a cultural I see it as a form of Marxism.” DeSantis said in his December 2021 speech: "They really want to tear the fabric of our society apart." Another example of this is DeSantis' attempt to punish Walt Disney his world. The company opposed parental authority laws in education. The law has been labeled "don't call me gay" by critics. In the lower grades, the whole school has a calm discussion about this issue.
The Governor has called on Congress to abolish Disney World's Special Independent Districts, which effectively allowed Disney World to run its own private government. The law he said won't be fully enforced until June 2023, but is already being contested in court.
Other lawsuits include a ban on abortion after 15 weeks, action against fintech companies for "de-platforming" a political candidate's views, and the new Black Lives Matter Laws imposing new restrictions on felonies following protests, elections, and more.