On Friday, October 6, at noon, faculty from the University of Central Florida will join ISU via Zoom for “Fighting Florida’s Stop WOKE Act,” a discussion on defending free speech and social justice in higher education through the opposition of Florida HB7. The event is free and open to the public.
This event will feature Drs. Shelley Park and Jen Sandoval, both of whom are among the plaintiffs in the Pernell v. Lamb lawsuit that is currently blocking the enforcement of HB7, the Stop WOKE (Wrongs against Our Kids and Employees) Act. Signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in April 2022, the Stop WOKE Act prohibits employers and educators from discussing material that would make one “feel guilt, anguish or any form of psychological distress due to their race, color, sex or national origin.”
The lawsuit states that HB7 violates both the First and Fourteenth Amendments, as well as the Equal Protection Clause due to its restrictions on free speech that particularly affect marginalized employees, educators, and students. Drs. Shelley Park and Jen Sandoval plan to share their experiences fighting the Stop WOKE Act alongside the ACLU and NAACP LDF, as well as apply their extensive knowledge of queer and trans populations to comment on the policy’s implications for those communities in higher education.
Zoom registration is required for this event. Click here to register. Sponsored by Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Queer Coalition.
