“Positively Dystopian”: Pernell v. Florida Board of Governors and its Implications for Curricular Backlash Bills

In light of this proliferation of Backlash Bills, Judge Walker’s opinion in Pernell takes on additional significance. Not only does Judge Walker’s opinion enjoin the IFA’s enforcement against Florida’s public universities, a significant victory for professor and student academic freedom, but it does so in a way that joins a larger political dialogue and offers insights on the viability of these laws in other states and in the K-12 context. In the next section, I explore the Pernell decis…