On August 18, 2022, the US District Court for the Northern
District of Florida temporarily blocked enforcement of the
Individual Freedom Act (IFA), also known as the Stop the Wrongs to
Our Kids and Employees (WOKE) Act, against employers by the Florida
Commission on Human Relations and the Florida attorney general. We
reported on the IFA's broad scope in a previous client alert.
In the matter of Honeyfund.com Inc. v. Ron DeSantis, et
al., No. 4:22-cv-00227 (N.D. Fla. Aug. 18, 2022), the
court ruled that the IFA violates the First Amendment because it is
not sufficiently narrowly tailored and is "impermissibly
vague" as to violate the due process clause of the 14th
Amendment. The court also denied a stay of the injunction pending a
likely appeal by the state, so the injunction remains in place for
the foreseeable future. However, employers
should be aware that the injunction does not prohibit individuals,
such as purportedly aggrieved employees, from bringing a private
cause of action.
Cooley will continue to follow updates to the IFA. If you have any questions about the IFA, please reach out to a member of the Cooley employment team.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
