Florida Might Be on the Hook for Businesses’ Legal Fees After ‘Stop WOKE Act’ Blocked

Photo byRon DeSantis/Twitter

It looks like Florida might be footing the bill for legal fees after a significant legal setback for its controversial “Stop WOKE Act.”

Businesses that challenged the law are now asking the state to cover their attorney costs following a judge's decision to block part of the legislation.

On Tuesday, attorneys representing these businesses filed a detailed motion, hoping to recover the legal fees and costs they’ve racked up. This move comes right after Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker slapped a permanent injunction on part of the law that sought to restrict how businesses handle race-related topics in their workplace training.

This isn’t just a small win for the plaintiffs. The 11-page motion boldly describes their victory as “resounding.” The plaintiffs—Primo Tampa, LLC, a Ben & Jerry’s franchise; Honeyfund.com, Inc., a tech company specializing in wedding registries; and Chevara Orrin’s Collective Concepts, LLC—achieved exactly what they set out to do: halt enforcement of a law they argue was unconstitutional.

Here’s the background: The “Stop WOKE Act” aimed to limit discussions on race-related issues during workplace training by labeling any program that touches on certain concepts as discriminatory. Specifically, it listed eight race-related ideas and declared that training programs promoting or requiring belief in these concepts could be considered as discriminatory.

The legal battle began when these businesses, which offer various forms of consulting and training on diversity and inclusion, took the fight to court. They argued that the law infringed on their First Amendment rights. And their argument held up. Earlier this year, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals backed a preliminary injunction that Walker had issued in 2022.

But the drama doesn’t end there. Walker has also issued a preliminary injunction against a separate part of the law targeting race-related education in universities. That’s currently under review by an appeals court panel based in Atlanta.

So, what's next? If Walker decides that the plaintiffs are entitled to attorney fees, the amount will need to be determined. For now, it’s a waiting game, but one thing’s clear: this legal saga is far from over, and Florida might be facing some hefty costs as a result.