Judge blocks Florida ‘woke’ law pushed by Gov. DeSantis

By CURT ANDERSON
Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — A Florida judge has declared a Florida law that restricts race-based conversation and analysis in business and education unconstitutional. The ruling came in a case in which a Florida business claimed their free speech rights are curtailed because the law infringes on company training programs stressing diversity, inclusion, elimination of bias and prevention of workplace harassment. The case is one of three challenging the “Stop WOKE” act  championed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis as unconstitutional. The law involves critical race theory — the idea that racism is systemic in U.S. institutions that serve to perpetuate white dominance in society. The other two lawsuits were filed by educators and students.