11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals

Florida teachers must use pronouns that align with sex assigned at birth, and the court ruled that teacher Katie Wood “cannot show ... she was speaking as a private citizen rather than a government employee.”

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has yet to decide on a Florida law and regulations that Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature made a priority in 2023 as judges were waiting on the high court to decide this case.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week directed attorneys for the state and the federal government to file briefs about whether the case is moot.

Attorney General James Uthmeier’s office on Tuesday asked for a rehearing by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after a three-judge panel last month upheld a preliminary injunction blocking the law.

The lawsuit, filed in 2022 in Tallahassee, alleges that the state does not provide “just compensation,” such as interest, to owners who ultimately claim property.

The law, dubbed by sponsors the “Protection of Children” bill, sought to prevent venues from admitting children to adult live performances.

The case stemmed from a 2015 game at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium where the FHSAA blocked Cambridge Christian from praying over the public address system.

The denial means the use of puberty blockers and hormone therapy for children with gender dysphoria will remain restricted while the federal appeals court considers an underlying case.

In a decade-long battle about kids with complex medical needs receiving care in nursing homes, the state describes a key part of the ruling as an “arbitrary and unachievable” goal.

Akeem Muhammad filed the lawsuit in 2018 while an inmate at Florida State Prison, where he said officials did not provide meals before astronomical twilight.

Andrew Warren is appealing his suspension by Gov. Ron DeSantis. His case will be heard in May.

A three-judge panel with the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is considering the constitutionality of a 2021 state law that enhanced penalties and created new crimes in protests that turn violent.