DeSantis defunds equity initiatives in Florida universities

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law on Monday 15 May banning the state’s public colleges and universities from spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes, writes Jaclyn Diaz for NPR.

“If you look at the way this has actually been implemented across the country, DEI is better viewed as standing for discrimination, exclusion and indoctrination,” DeSantis said during a news conference at New College of Florida in Sarasota. “And that has no place in our public institutions.”

Many institutions across the United States have DEI offices aimed at diversifying staff and to promote inclusivity for faculty and students. The location of the bill signing is notable as DeSantis has targeted New College of Florida to put it in a more conservative direction. Earlier this year, he appointed six new members to the school’s board of trustees, putting conservative allies in control of the board. He accused the school’s leadership of overemphasising DEI, critical race theory and gender ideology, which he characterised as not “what a liberal arts education should be”.
Full report on the NPR site