On August 18, a district court granted a preliminary injunction in a separate case challenging H.B. 7 and blocked its enforcement as it relates to private businesses.
On August 25, LDF filed a motion in support of a preliminary injunction to block H.B. 7’s enforcement. The filing emphasizes how Black professors and students are already being impacted and harmed by the law and seeks to stop its enforcement while the case is being litigated.
On November 17, a federal judge issued an order that will immediately block members of the Florida Board of Governors from enforcing Florida’s HB 7. The order granted a preliminary injunction to six plaintiffs in Pernell v. Florida Board of Governors. And in separate litigation, Judge Walker blocked the law’s application to Florida employers. However, K-12 schools are still being impacted by this classroom censorship law. The preliminary victory in the case could bolster similar challenges to classroom censorship efforts in other states.
On March 17, 2023, in an important victory for professors, other educators, and students across Florida, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals left in place a preliminary injunction blocking Florida’s HB 7 from being enforced in institutions of higher education, pending appeal. The procedural ruling maintains the preliminary injunction until the Eleventh Circuit issues a decision on the merits.