A pair of consecutive court actions this week brought renewed attention to policies in Republican-led states to control lessons and conversations on gender and race in public colleges and universities.

A group of legal advocates sued the Texas Tech University system Wednesday over curriculum restrictions they say have created a chilling effect at the institution — including prohibiting lessons on medical treatment for LGBTQ+ people and communities of color.

Just a day before, a federal appeals court blocked the enforcement of Florida’s “Stop WOKE Act,” a 2022 law that set out to limit what schools and companies can teach about gender, race and privilege. In a 2-1 split decision, a three-judge panel on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Stop WOKE infringed on free speech rights in college instruction. (cont’d in article)