TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A lawsuit filed Thursday challenges the legality of Florida’s controversial Parental Rights in Education law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday.
Equality Florida, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP, and families in Florida filed the suit against the state of Florida over the law, referred to by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” law, calling it “a grave abuse of power.”
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
“We are proud to stand with the families who have fought to be recognized and with the students who have demanded to be included and respected,” Equality Florida said in a statement.
The lawsuit claims the law is “an effort by the state to use its power over public schools to demean and deny the existence of people whom the Supreme Court has repeatedly held to be protected.”
READ: Central Florida officials respond to DeSantis’ signing of Parental Rights in Education bill
The suit argues the law violates the first and fourteenth amendments of the U.S. Constitution, as well as Title IX.
You can read the suit in full below:
Complaint Equality Florida v Desantis by WFTV on Scribd
Gov. Ron DeSantis will hold a prearranged news conference on Wednesday morning. Channel 9 will update this story when a response to the lawsuit is received.
We made a promise to defend the rights of all students to have a healthy environment to learn and thrive and for all parents to know their families are included & respected. DeSantis' cruel 'Don't Say Gay' law is meant to isolate, stigmatize, and erase LGBTQ families & our kids.
— Equality Florida (@equalityfl) March 31, 2022
READ: DeSantis, Disney butt heads over Florida’s ‘Parental Rights in Education’ bill
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2022 Cox Media Group
