A federal judge has temporarily halted a Florida law preventing a transgender teacher from using pronouns that do not match her birth sex, NBC News reported.
Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker granted a temporary injunction to Katie Wood, stating that the law violates her First Amendment rights.
The Parental Rights in Education Act was signed initially by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in March 2022. The law prohibits teachers from using pronouns or titles that do not align with their birth sex.
Wood and two other teachers filed a lawsuit against the state in December, arguing that the law discriminates against them and violates their constitutional rights.
When DeSantis signed the expanded law in May 2023, he said that Florida would not do "the pronoun Olympics" and that teachers and students would "never be forced to declare pronouns in school or be forced to use pronouns not based on biological sex."
Walker's decision came after a strongly worded opinion in which he criticized the state's attempt to dictate how public school teachers refer to themselves. "The answer is a thunderous no," Walker wrote, emphasizing the importance of free speech rights.
Wood, a math teacher at Lennard High School in Hillsborough County, stated in the lawsuit that the law prevented her from asking students to address her as "Ms. Wood," leading her to feel stigmatized. The plaintiffs argued that the law infringes on their rights under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, and Title IX of the Education Amendments.
Wood and her supporters saw the judge's decision as a victory. "Where there is pain, there is power," Wood said. "And anything can happen when good people stand up together."
In his opinion, Walker quoted Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself," emphasizing the importance of self-expression and identity. He criticized the law for silencing Wood and forcing her to conform to an identity that was not her own.
The case is ongoing, with Walker expected to issue further rulings soon.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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