Student senate passes resolution opposing Florida’s Stop W.O.K.E Act
The Student Senate at the University of Central Florida recently passed a resolution with a 32-1-0 vote opposing the state's Individual Freedom Act, commonly known as the 'Stop W.O.K.E Act.'
The resolution says that the Act, signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis, 'forces valuable cultural content to be omitted from an instructor's material and directly impacts course content.'
The Student Body Senate at the University of Central Florida (UCF) recently passed a resolution opposing the state’s Individual Freedom Act, commonly known as the “Stop W.O.K.E Act.”
Student Senators first introduced the resolution in January and passed it during the first week of February with a final vote of 32-1-0.
The first section names implications the senators find problematic in the Individual Freedom Act, which “authorizes discussion and curricula, in an age-appropriate manner, regarding topics such as sexism, slavery, racial oppression, racial segregation, and racial discrimination.”
“However,” the Act states, “the bill specifies that instruction and curricula may not be used to indoctrinate or persuade students to a particular point of view inconsistent with the principles of individual freedom or state academic standards.”
The Student Senate resolution says that the Act, signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis in April 2022, “forces valuable cultural content to be omitted from an instructor’s material and directly impacts course content exposed to students.”
[RELATED: Trans activists protest DeSantis]
Other problematic implications, the resolution claims, include “[t]he Act specifically prevent[ing]...professors to teach that racial colorblindness is racist.” This, the resolution says, “will prevent the eradication of systemic racism to be present in future generations.”
The final section has a list of requests for UCF, DeSantis, the Florida Board of Governors, and other parties receiving a copy of the resolution.
The resolution states, “[I]t is the opinion of the Fifty-Fourth Student Senate of the University of Central Florida that instructors should not be disciplined for teaching such materials that are considered counter to the Stop W.O.K.E Act.”
UCF, according to the resolution’s requests, “should abstain from the cancellation of such classes” that teach concepts in the manner prohibited by the Individual Freedom Act.
The Individual Freedom Act marked the beginning of DeSantis’ efforts to dismantle critical race theory (CRT) and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in K-12 and higher education.
Since then, DeSantis requested a full accounting of CRT and DEI spending at Florida’s public colleges and universities and appointed new Board of Trustees members at the New College of Florida, according to Campus Reform.
When DeSantis signed the Individual Freedom Act, a press release called it “the first of its kind in the nation to take on both corporate wokeness and Critical Race Theory in schools in one act.”
The Act does not prohibit teaching on “race, color, national origin or sex” but instead prohibits certain approaches to these concepts, including teaching that people “should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment to achieve diversity, equity or inclusion.”
“In Florida, we will not let the far-left woke agenda take over our schools and workplaces,” DeSantis’ press release stated. “There is no place for indoctrination or discrimination in Florida.”
Campus Reform contacted all relevant parties listed for comment and will update this article accordingly.
