Trans people, students and teachers are besieged by DeSantis’s crusade. But he’s not done yet

Florida sees new deluge of legislation targeting trans rights and controlling public education as governor steps up courtship of Trump voters

No public school teacher or college professor in Florida has been more outspoken in his criticism of Governor Ron DeSantis than Don Falls. In the spring of 2022, the 62-year-old social studies high school teacher became the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against the governor to block enforcement of the recently approved Stop Woke (Wrongs Against Our Kids and Employees) Act.

The DeSantis-backed legislation banned the supposed teaching of critical race theory - a scholarly examination of how social conceptions of race influence laws, political movements and history - in the Sunshine state's public schools and universities. When Falls heard that a Jacksonville law firm was drafting litigation to stop the new law from taking effect, the grandfather of five decided to raise his head above the proverbial parapet.