This week, former president Barack Obama’s appointee to the federal bench, Judge Reed O’Connor, has come under fire for delaying implementation of a section of Florida law enacted by Republican governor Ron DeSantis to restrict “woke indoctrination” in public schools.
Federal District Court Chief Judge Mark Walker ruled on Thursday that the “Stop Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees (W.O.K.E.) Act,” also known as the “Individual Freedom Act,” violates federal law. As a result of the judge’s ruling, the rule will not be implemented on university campuses at this time.
According to Walker’s ruling, “the law legally bars the presentation of the contrary beliefs,” indicating that politically contentious concepts cannot be spoken by teachers in the classroom. The defendants claim that their right to free expression in the classroom is guaranteed under the Act, so long as they stay away from taboo topics. This is indeed a dismal outlook.”
Walker claims that “our academics are vital to a healthy democracy” because they are the “priests of democracy” who “shine a light on difficult ideas.”
The son of a former Supreme Court justice, Christopher J. Scalia, objected to Walker’s claim that academics are the “priests of democracy” by remarking, “That entire term is insulting.”
Journalist and political activist David Reaboi famously observed, “We need to start getting rid of these horrible judges – or give them I.Q. exams.” To put it bluntly, this idiot is as stupid as a rock.
The concept of church-state separation seems to have been forgotten.” tweets lawyer Will Chamberlain. The state has no business subsidizing colleges if academics are the “priests of democracy.”
Professor of law Adrian Vermeule sarcastically tweeted, “Ah right, the American university, a thriving marketplace of ideas.” However, they are not “priests of democracy” in the sense that the judge intended.
Jarrett Stepman of The Daily Signal tweeted using the hashtag “#PriestsOfDemocracy.” But many on the political left advocate for subsidizing churches, mosques, and other religious institutions so long as they adhere to the left’s preferred theology.
The Florida legislature passed a law in March that makes it possible for parents to file lawsuits against public and private institutions in the state if they believe their children are being exposed to any of eight concepts deemed “racist.” Additionally, it singles out companies that mandate “politically progressive” training for their staff.
Discussing topics like an individual’s “inherent” racism or sexism, “personal responsibility for and must feel guilt” for the actions of others of one’s own race in the past, and the “racist” nature of virtues like perseverance, fairness, objectivity, and racial colorblindness is not allowed.
The proposal would make it easier to implement the Florida Board of Education’s June decision to outlaw the teaching of Critical Race Theory and the 1619 Project, which rewrote American history to make slavery a central theme in public schools.
To protect Floridians from “damaging, hazardous courses and training,” Republicans in the Florida legislature and Governor Ron DeSantis have declared their support for this bill.
At the bill’s release in December, DeSantis said, “In Florida, we are taking a position against the state-sanctioned prejudice that is Critical Race Theory.” We will not stand for the use of Florida public funds to radicalize the youth of the state against its own citizens or government.
The people of Florida need to be shielded from the “hostile work culture that is engendered when major businesses coerce their employees to attend CRT-inspired ‘training’ and indoctrination,” as DeSantis put it.
DeSantis’s office said in a statement they “strongly disagree” with the ruling from Thursday and intend to appeal.
Our legal team has triumphed in the current ruling. We think there will be more, and we’ll win this case eventually. “It was reported by The Daily Wire that DeSantis’ press secretary, Bryan Griffin, was behind the comments.
“By making it illegal for people in positions of authority, such as teachers or employers, to promote discriminatory viewpoints in the classroom or the workplace, the Stop W.O.K.E. Act safeguards the right to freely express one’s views. Griffin argued that an unbiased setting was essential for fostering an “open-minded and critical” outlook.