DeSantis signs bill to defund diversity programs at Florida's public colleges and universities

On Monday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a legislative proposal prohibiting public higher education institutions from promoting, supporting or spending on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.

The law also prevents state universities from engaging in political or social activism and offering courses that "distort significant historical events," teach "identity politics," or are "based on theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, or privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States and were created to maintain social, political, or economic inequities."

DeSantis explained that the state of Florida would not fall into the "game" of continuing with issues that advocate "discrimination, exclusion and indoctrination," as has been done in other parts of the country. The governor invited those who prefer to study such subjects to leave the state and stressed that, while there was nothing wrong with that, Florida would not use tax dollars for such programs.

"We want to focus on the classical mission of what a university is supposed to be," he said, noting that the traditional mission of educational institutions includes treating people as individuals without having to divide based on "superficial characteristics."

The Stop WOKE Act

The governor has repeatedly clarified that he will not let the woke agenda come to Florida. His 'Stop WOKE Act' initiative has been one of the major fights against the impositions of that culture. A judge temporarily blocked the Act prohibiting the promotion of critical race theory and other woke conventions, but a federal court later revived it.

The law went into effect as of April and represented an advancement that prevents both schools and corporations from subjecting students or employees to instructions that "advocates, promotes, advances, inculcates, or compels such person to believe that the specified concepts constitute discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, or national origin."