University of Florida fires DEI staff in wake of new state law

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Off the heels of new state law and rules, University of Florida has nixed its diversity, equity and inclusion staff, also known as DEI.

In an administrative memo, administrators announced that to comply with new Board of Governors rules, it has removed its DEI “positions and administrative appointments” and stopped contracts with DEI-focused vendors, per school paper The Independent Florida Alligator.

Eliminated staff are receiving 12 weeks of pay, the memo said.

Aside from the staff cut, $5 million is being redirected into a “faculty recruitment fund” that previously went to DEI expenses. The university said it had to previously report those expenditures to the Florida government.

The university is encouraging the staff to apply for other positions at the university. It is giving “expedited” consideration for those who apply by April 19. The expedition includes fast-tracking interviews.

The school’s actions come as a result of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ and Florida Republican lawmakers’ crackdown on DEI in higher education.

“Florida is where DEI goes to die…” DeSantis said in response on Friday.

Despite those actions, the university said it is still committed to “universal human dignity.”

Florida International University was another major school to recently disband its DEI office.

In January, governing bodies over the State University System and Florida College System passed rules implementing state law to ban taxpayer funding of DEI.

DeSantis ultimately signed legislation in May 2023 legally ordering the end of DEI funding in taxpayer-funded institutions.

The following lawmakers carried the bills cracking down on DEI: Sens. Erin Grall, R-Fort Pierce, and Keith Perry, R-Gainesville; and Reps. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, and Spencer Roach, R-North Fort Myers.