(MIAMI)–PEN America today celebrates the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit’s decision to reaffirm core First Amendment principles by agreeing with the trial court that the State of Florida may not enforce the higher education provisions of its Stop W.O.K.E. Act. While the legal challenge to other aspects of the law continues, the Eleventh Circuit’s ruling protects the freedom of professors to teach, students to ask difficult questions, and universities to pursue knowledge without political censorship.
“The decision strengthens longstanding protections for academic freedom and reaffirms that public officials cannot use state power to favor one ideology over another,” said William Johnson, director of PEN America Florida. “Institutions of higher learning exist to expand knowledge, not constrain thought. Colleges and universities prepare students to weigh evidence, challenge assumptions, and wrestle with competing ideas. The freedom to read and the freedom to learn depend on the freedom to teach. Florida students deserve classrooms where educators can present challenging ideas without fear of government punishment.”
PEN America previously filed an amicus brief in this case as well as an amicus brief in a separate, successful challenge to another provision of the Stop W.O.K.E. Act in Honeyfund.com Inc. v. Governor, 94 F.4th 1272 (11th Cir. 2024), in which the court held that the provision constituted viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment, a decision that significantly informed the court in today’s decision.
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Malka Margolies, [email protected], 718-530-3582