11th Circuit Upholds Florida Teacher Pronoun Law Enforcement

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a 2023 Florida law requiring teachers to use pronouns aligned with their sex assigned at birth, rejecting a transgender teacher's First Amendment free speech challenge. In a 2-1 decision, the court vacated a preliminary injunction that previously blocked enforcement of the law against Katie Wood, a transgender math teacher in Hillsborough County, ruling that Wood acted as a government employee, not a private citizen, when using pronouns and honorifics in the classroom. The law, part of a series of measures targeting transgender rights in Florida schools, prohibits educators from using preferred titles or pronouns inconsistent with birth sex, with noncompliance potentially leading to termination. The dissent warned that the ruling's broad application of the government speech doctrine risks undermining First Amendment protections for educators and could lead to compelled speech or silencing depending on political shifts. Ongoing legal challenges to the law also cite violations of federal civil rights laws, including Title IX and Title VII. Critics, including teachers' unions and LGBTQ+ advocates, argue the law infringes on free speech and civil rights protections.