Florida’s ‘Stop Woke’ Law Could Endanger USF Students’ Education, Professors Say – The Oracle

Sociology professor Elizabeth Aranda said she would not be able to do her job if Florida “Stop waking up” the law was put into effect.

“Imagine you’re a conductor and you’re missing every third page of the score,” Aranda said. “There would be no songs to play. That’s how I envision having to teach under this law.”

Stop Woke — which stands for Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees — would limit discussions of race, gender and other topics in public university classrooms. It also threatens professors with loss of tenure if they break the law.

Although the law was passed in 2022, it was blocked by U.S. District Judge Mark Walker in November of that year after students and faculty filed legal challenges.

Related: Teachers Express Relief After Stop WOKE Law Injunction – The Oracle

At a recent hearing on June 14, attorneys for the Florida Board of Education presented arguments to lift the injunction before a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

This includes Judges Britt Grant and Barbara Lagoa – both appointed by former President Donald Trump – as well as Charles Wilson, appointed by former President Bill Clinton.

During the hearings, USF professors expressed concern that the law could represent censorship in higher education.

A USF spokesperson said the university will continue to monitor all legal developments surrounding the law and will update the community as needed.

However, according to Jerry Edwards, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the court’s decision could take between three months and a year.

The ACLU, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund are among the groups representing Florida students and faculty that have filed lawsuits against the law.

“A government victory would be very damaging to our higher education system, at least for public universities,” Edwards said. “It would take away the state’s academic freedom, which would allow the state to construct its own truth and indoctrinate students according to its own way of thinking.”

THE law prohibits school instruction that causes people to experience “guilt, anxiety or other psychological distress” related to race, color, national origin or sex because of acts “committed in the past.”

Supporters of the law, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, have said the law is a way to combat “woke indoctrination” and teachings such as critical race theory.

“In Florida, we are taking a stand against the state-sanctioned racism that is critical race theory,” DeSantis said. said in 2021. “We will not allow Florida tax dollars to be spent teaching children to hate our country or hate each other.”

At the June hearing, Charles Cooper, an attorney representing the Florida Board of Education, argued that speech by a public university professor is speech by the government in the classroom.

“The government can restrict professors on all content and prevent them from offering opposing views,” Cooper said.

Cooper also said it would mean teachers would not be able to criticize the governor in class.

Aranda said Cooper’s claim “goes against academic freedom” and expressed concern about the practical implications of the law.

“Every time the governor’s political party or the majority in the legislature changes, should we then change the programs to reflect the new policies and priorities of the state,” Aranda asked.

Adriana Novoa, a USF professor and one of the state faculty members who filed a lawsuit challenging the law, said the highest price will be paid by students.

“Any degree you get in Florida is going to be suspect,” Novoa said. “Because you’re not going to be taking classes based on your disciplinary concerns, you’re going to be learning essentially based on these viewpoints that are decided by the state.”

Related: Student, Professor File Lawsuit Against USF Board of Trustees, State Officials – The Oracle

Novoa said pressure is already mounting among faculty members. Although the law is not yet in effect, many are concerned about the future of courses on race and gender.

“It’s already happening,” she said. “We’re short of professors, we’re short of people who have decided to leave academia altogether or move elsewhere.”

Courses on gender and race offered at USF include “Racism in American Society,” “Introduction to the Black Experience,” “The Female Experience in America,” and “Sexuality Studies.”

The university also offers majors in Women’s and Gender Studies and Africana Studies. A major in Queer and Sexuality Studies is also available.

Aranda said she might not be able to teach one or two classes and others would have to be “significantly” changed “so as not to violate the law.” That, she said, would lead to an incomplete curriculum.

Aranda did not specify which courses might be affected.

Novoa said the humanities could be the “start,” but laws like this could impact other fields of study as well.

“This will have a huge impact on your degree in the future and it’s something that students need to start realizing,” Novoa said. “It’s not about professors, it’s about education.”