State justice will step down to lead the University of Florida's classical education center

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida Supreme Court justice has announced he'll be stepping down from the bench to lead a center dedicated to classical education at the University of Florida.

In a statement released by the state Supreme Court, Justice Charles Canady said that beginning in 2026 he will serve as the director of UF’s Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education. The center was established in 2022, with recurring funding from the state legislature, and is dedicated to teaching and researching the “foundations of Western and American civilization.”

Canady, who previously served as a Republican state lawmaker, a member of Congress, and general counsel to then-Gov. Jeb Bush, was known for his anti-abortion views as a lawmaker when he joined the bench in 2008.

He went on to serve as the state's chief justice for three terms. An opinion he joined cleared the way for Florida to ban most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, after state lawmakers passed a bill that was co-sponsored by Canady's wife, Republican state Rep. Jennifer Canady.

Canady's departure will open up a vacancy on the court for Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to fill. DeSantis has appointed five of the court's seven sitting justices.

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Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.