Battle over Florida’s ‘don't say gay’ education law put on hold

A federal appeals court has put on hold a battle about a 2022 Florida law that restricts instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation in schools, after attorneys said they were in settlement talks.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week issued a stay of an appeal filed by students, parents and teachers after a federal district judge in February rejected their constitutional challenge to the high-profile law.

The stay came after a joint motion filed Aug. 15 that said the parties were “engaged in active settlement discussions.”

“Should the parties’ settlement discussions no longer appear to be productive, any party may withdraw its consent to the stay by filing a notice with the court,” the joint motion said.