The University of Florida has fired all employees in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) positions and administrative appointments, according to a memo sent on Friday.
The Florida Board of Governors passed the regulation limiting the expenditure of public money on DEI programs, defined as "any program, campus activity, or policy that classifies individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation and promotes differential or preferential treatment of individuals on the basis of such classification."
A memo sent on Friday informed DEI employees they were fired.
"To comply with the Florida Board of Governors' regulation 9.016 on prohibited expenditures, the University of Florida has closed the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer, eliminated DEI positions and administrative appointments, and halted DEI-focused contracts with outside vendors," the memo states.
The campus newspaper reported that "13 full-time diversity, equity and inclusion positions were dismissed and 15 administrative appointments were eliminated."
Ron DeSantis celebrated his signature achievement.
Florida is where DEI goes to die… https://t.co/1PsGgHE6nP
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) March 1, 2024
DEI is toxic and has no place in our public universities.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 1, 2024
I’m glad that Florida was the first state to eliminate DEI and I hope more states follow suit. https://t.co/oThvwowKu6
"Higher education must return to its essential foundations of academic integrity and the pursuit of knowledge instead of being corrupted by destructive ideologies," Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. said last month. "These actions today ensure that we will not spend taxpayers’ money supporting DEI and radical indoctrination that promotes division in our society."
The University of Florida memo added that the Office of the Chief Financial Officer would reallocate the approximately $5 million in funds previously reported to Tallahassee for DEI expenses into a faculty recruitment fund.
The memo added a defiant statement at the end.
"Finally, the University of Florida is – and will always be – unwavering in our commitment to universal human dignity. As we educate students by thoughtfully engaging a wide range of ideas and views, we will continue to foster a community of trust and respect for every member of the Gator Nation. The University of Florida is an elite institution because of our incredible faculty who are committed to teaching, discovering, and serving," the memo states.
Christopher Rufo tweeted out, "The conservative counter-revolution has begun." Mr. Rufo is one of the finest minds engaged in the DEI debate but the "counter-revolution" has been underway since at least the election of Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin in 2022 when ordinary people stood up to the radical left and fought back against the indoctrination of students.
It won't be long before other state schools begin the process of reclaiming the minds of young men and women.
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