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Ron DeSantis speaks before signing legislation on 15 May 2023 blocking public colleges from using federal or state funding for DEI programs.

University of Florida terminating all diversity, equity and inclusion positions

Move is to comply with state law passed by Governor Ron DeSantis that prohibits public funding of DEI programs

The University of Florida is terminating all its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) positions to comply with a state law passed in January that prohibits state or federal funds from being used to fund the programs.

The university, with more than 30,000 undergraduates, said in a memo issued on Friday that it was closing its office of the chief diversity officer, eliminating DEI positions and administrative appointments, and halting DEI-focused contracts with outside vendors.

DEI employees would get 12 weeks of pay and are encouraged to apply, with “expedited consideration”, for different positions at the university. The move comes as around 40 anti-DEI bills were introduced across the US last year, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education .

The university said it “is – and will always be – unwavering in our commitment to universal human dignity” and would continue “to foster a community of trust and respect for every member of the Gator Nation”, referring to its athletic program,

Last year, Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis , signed legislation that banned public colleges from using tax dollars to implement or promote DEI initiatives. The Florida board of education followed suit, defining DEI as “programs that categorize individuals based on race or sex for the purpose of differential or preferential treatment”.

The education board also said that a “principles of sociology” course could no longer be taught and would be replaced with a general American history class.

“Higher education must return to its essential foundations of academic integrity and the pursuit of knowledge instead of being corrupted by destructive ideologies,” Florida’s commissioner of education, Manny Diaz Jr, said. The actions, he added, would ensure taxpayer money won’t be spent on DEI and “radical indoctrination that promotes division in our society”.

DeSantis posted his approval of the university’s announcement on X , saying that “DEI is toxic and has no place in our public universities. I’m glad that Florida was the first state to eliminate DEI and I hope more states follow suit.”

Florida’s move comes after the New York attorney general, Letitia James, said on Friday she would take legal action against Long Island’s Nassau county if it failed to rescind an executive order restricting transgender women and girls from participating in athletic events.

James said that an order issued last week by Nassau’s county executive, Bruce Blakeman, to prohibit athletic events that allow transgender girls to participate in accordance with their gender identity was “transphobic and blatantly illegal”.

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Under the order , athletic teams, leagues, organizations and programs are required to “expressly designate” participation based on members’ sex assigned at birth. It said transgender athletes, regardless of their gender identity, would still allowed to compete in all-boys or coed leagues.

In a cease-and-desist letter , James’s office said the Nassau order violates New York’s human rights law. “The law is perfectly clear: you cannot discriminate against a person because of their gender identity or expression. We have no room for hate or bigotry in New York,” James said in a statement .

But Blakeman said he had no plans to bend to James’s threat of legal action. “In Nassau we will continue to fight for females’ right to be safe, secure, and have a level playing field to compete,” he said on X .

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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion employees will no longer have a job at UF

equity in education

The University of Florida announced Friday that it is eliminating all Diversity, Equity and Inclusion employee positions.

This change , announced through an emailed administrative memo, comes after the Florida Board of Governors labeled expenditures related to DEI programs as prohibited expenditures.

The memo explains that "to comply with the Florida Board of Governor’s 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 Board of Governors defines DEI 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."

The regulation says a state university "may not expend any state or federal funds to promote, support, or maintain any programs or campus activities" that violate section 1000.05 of Florida Statutes, advocate for what it defines as diversity, equity, and inclusion, or promote or engage in what it defines as political or social activism.

Florida Statute section 1000.05 , named the Florida Educational Equity Act, requires equality of access and prohibits discrimination "on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, or marital status" against students and employees in the Florida K-20 public education system.

Friday afternoon, Gov. Ron DeSantis commented on X (formerly Twitter): "DEI is toxic and has no place in our public universities. I’m glad that Florida was the first state to eliminate DEI and I hope more states follow suit."

Employees who have been fired will receive the university's standard 12 weeks of pay, under the direction of UF Human Resources. UF said these employees are encouraged to apply, between March 1 and April 19, for expedited consideration for different positions currently open at the university. UF also said it will work to speed up the interview process for these employees and provide an answer on all applications within 12 weeks.

State Reps. Dianne Hart, D-Tampa, and Yvonne Hinson, D-Gainesville, voiced their disapproval of the firings in prepared statements.

“I am stunned but not surprised at the elimination of DEI staff at University of Florida, my Alma Matter,” Hinson said. “ The culture wars engaged in the Republican dominated Florida House of Representatives will continue until Floridians have had enough and develop the will and determination to flip the majority in the Florida House.”

Hart called the series of firings “the most recent manifestation of the policies of an out of touch legislature, and a Governor’s failed Presidential bid.”

“When will we stop with these made up culture wars that are literally costing people their livelihoods… In an effort to prevent ‘indoctrination’ in our classrooms, we have in turn created an education system that is built off lies, falsehoods, and deceptive history. We can’t call ourselves the ‘free State of Florida’ when children aren’t free to learn the truth of their history, and see the diversity of humanity,” she said.

The office of the chief financial officer will reallocate approximately $5 million into a faculty recruitment fund to be administered by the Office of the Provost. These funds were previously reported to Tallahassee for DEI expenses, including employee salaries and expenditures.

Read for yourself: UF's memo about eliminating all Diversity, Equity and Inclusion positions on Friday

UF's Diversity Dashboard recorded that between fall 2012 and fall 2022, nearly half of students enrolled at the university have been white. In 2012, white students represented 56.11% out of 28,102 students and in 2022 they represented 49.80% out of 30,278 students.

In 2012 white faculty represented 73.61% of 3,341 employees and in 2022 they represented 64.46% of 3,700 employees. White staff in 2012 represented 69.96% of 6,113 employees and in 2022 they represented 63.32% of 6,709 employees.

The memo said UF is and always will 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 Office of the Chief Diversity Officer , the Center for Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement , the Office for Accessibility and Gender Equity , the Disability Resource Center , the RESPECT Team and the Office of Institutional Planning and Research's diversity dashboard all fall under DEI at the university. None of these resources have been specifically mentioned by UF yet.

Map: See which states have introduced or passed anti-DEI bills

Republican lawmakers in more than 30 states have introduced or passed more than 100 bills to either restrict or regulate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the current legislative session, according to an NBC News analysis.

Following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020 and the national protests that followed, schools, companies and individuals sought more solutions to become more racially and socially inclusive. But those efforts have invited a backlash, with conservative media outlets, politicians, lawyers and social media influencers now countering DEI efforts in several industries, from higher education institutions to airlines . 

In the months since the Supreme Court restricted race-conscious college admissions , groups have filed complaints and lawsuits against minority-owned businesses with equity initiatives. 

States such as Florida , Texas and Utah are among the handful whose legislatures have approved bans on DEI efforts in higher education and public offices. In Florida, the Board of Education recently announced a new rule banning public colleges from using state and federal funds on DEI initiatives. Last summer, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law to require all state-funded colleges and universities to close their DEI offices. And a Utah bill now headed to Gov. Spencer Cox’s desk would ban all government and universities from having offices dedicated to promoting diversity. 

Other states have introduced or passed bills with similar restrictions or require agencies to publicly disclose their DEI initiatives. 

Advocates for the anti-DEI movement have called such policies and programs unconstitutional , holding that focusing on diversity and inclusion only divides Americans and fosters “ white guilt .” These efforts are part of the larger conservative push against “wokeness.” The anti-DEI efforts follow, and have gained momentum from, the backlash to Black Lives Matter and the implementation of laws to limit what can be taught about race in schools. 

In February, Arizona state Sen. Anthony Kern likened DEI initiatives to support for Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ rights, as he  introduced a bill to prohibit the state and local governments as well as colleges and universities from spending money on DEI . Kern said there was “ample evidence” of professors intimidating students by using state money for things beyond education or advocacy.

“We don’t want public money going to political activism; promoting DEI,” Kern said.

In response to these targeted attacks on DEI, an unofficial coalition of civil rights, political and advocacy groups — including the National Urban League, the Black Economic Alliance and the Congressional Black Caucus — have banded together to counter the growing cries to dismantle DEI initiatives in businesses. 

“We don’t need to persuade most businesspeople on diversity,” Marc H. Morial, president of the National Urban League, previously told NBC News. “We just have to encourage them to be courageous and not be intimidated by politicians, mainly a bunch of politicians, billionaires and right-wing actors.”

equity in education

Char Adams is a reporter for NBC BLK who writes about race.

equity in education

Nigel Chiwaya is the Senior Editor, Data Viz for NBC News Digital.

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  3. University of Florida terminating all diversity, equity and

    The University of Florida is terminating all its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) positions to comply with a state law passed in January that prohibits state or federal funds from being used ...

  4. University of Florida fires all DEI employees

    Florida Statute section 1000.05, named the Florida Educational Equity Act, requires equality of access and prohibits discrimination "on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability ...

  5. Map: See which states have introduced or passed anti-DEI bills

    Republican lawmakers in more than 30 states have introduced or passed more than 100 bills to either restrict or regulate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the current legislative ...