DeSantis signs bills to eliminate DEI, enact other higher education reforms

This is a developing story.

SARASOTA, Fla. (FLV) – Gov. Ron DeSantis signed multiple higher education reform bills on Monday, including one to eliminate funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and critical race theory programs in higher education.

DeSantis said the legislation will “reorient our universities back to their traditional mission.”

“This is a really exciting day, and a really significant package of really good legislation related to higher education,” DeSantis said.

SB 266 will eliminate funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, programs from public universities and establish standards for core courses. It prohibits the teaching of critical race theory, or CRT, and related theories in general education courses.

The press conference took place at New College of Florida, a top-ranked public liberal arts college with around 700 students.

The college has recently made national headlines after DeSantis appointed new leadership to overhaul the institution’s “equity” ideology for a merit-based approach, among other sweeping changes.

DeSantis said part of that traditional mission is to “treat people as individuals, not to try to divvy them up based on any type of superficial characteristics.”

“We’re going to elevate merit and achievement above identification with certain groups, and in order to do that, we had to look at this new concept called diversity, equity and inclusion,” DeSantis said.

“DEI is better viewed as standing for ‘discrimination, exclusion and indoctrination,’ and that has no place in our public institutions,” DeSantis said.

“This bill says, the whole experiment with DEI is coming to an end in the state of Florida, we are eliminating the DEI programs. We are going to treat people as individuals, we’re not going to treat people as members of groups. And it’s also wrong how this has been implemented,” DeSantis explained.

Democrats, including Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, said the law “targets diverse students.”

“It also suppresses academic freedom and inserts political orthodoxy into the classroom. It further politicizes higher education and reduces free speech by dictating specific content that can and cannot be discussed,” Eskamani said.

“The bill’s vague definitions and sweeping changes opens up the door for abuse and suppression by political bodies like the Board of Governors and pushes the “Anti-Woke” Act back on universities despite the fact that a federal judge has stopped its implementation.”

DeSantis said he appreciates the work of New College Interim President Richard Corcoran.

“I know that there’s a lot of parents around the country looking for schools that have a strong mission and where they think that their kids can get a good education, and the more they find out that they have an opportunity to send their kids to Sarasota and be able to visit here and this nice place, I think you’re gonna see a lot more applications coming through the door,” DeSantis said.

Corcoran said he anticipates “record enrollment” and thanked DeSantis during the press conference.

“We are on the verge of having the largest incoming class in the history of New College in just 90 days,” Corcoran said.

Corcoran previously told Florida’s Voice he expected an enrollment boost after the college added an athletics department.

The governor also signed HB 931, a bill to prohibit public institutions of higher education from requiring students, faculty or staff to sign in support of DEI or other ideological agendas before admittance or hiring.

“That is not going to fly in the state of Florida, we want people to be free thinkers,” DeSantis said.

It also establishes an Office of Public Policy Events within each of the state universities to organize events on campus that are representative of a wide range of viewpoints, thoughts, and ideas.

DeSantis signed SB 240 to expand access to workforce education programs, as well as career and technical edge of education programs in middle school and high school.

The governor said they are requiring each middle and high school school district to ensure that every high school student has access to at least one work based learning opportunity.

He said they are requiring school districts to ensure that each high school host a career fair during the school year. The bill also allows middle school students who want to continue their CTE education in high school to attend a high school that offers the program, regardless of zip code.

Many protestors were heard in the background of the press conference, who were gathered outside. Over the past several months, many students, alumni and parents have spoken out at the Board of Trustees meetings to express concern for changes at the college.

Video shows protestors screamed expletives at Board of Trustee member Christopher Rufo.