In a recent announcement, the Florida Board of Education has introduced a new rule aimed at limiting the use of state and federal funds for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, activities, and policies in the state's public colleges. The regulation will apply to the 28 educational institutions within the Florida College System.

The board emphasized that the rule is designed to ensure that taxpayer money will no longer be allocated to promoting DEI initiatives on these college campuses. Notable institutions affected by this new directive include Seminole State College of Florida, Valencia College, and Florida State College at Jacksonville, which currently serve sizable populations of Black and Latino students.

Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz Jr. issued a statement supporting the rule, stating that higher education should reject being influenced by "destructive ideologies." He further explained that the action taken by the board prevents taxpayers' money from supporting DEI and what he described as "radical indoctrination" that fosters division in society.

Alongside the funding restrictions, the board also announced that the course "Principles of Sociology" will be replaced with a general education American history course. This change is attributed to claims that the previous curriculum exposed students to what the board referred to as "radical woke ideologies."

It is worth noting that in May 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis had signed legislation that established related restrictions within higher education. These bills prohibited state colleges and universities from utilizing public funds for the promotion of activism or advocacy for DEI efforts. The legislation also outlined the guidelines for teaching race and gender in classrooms, while placing emphasis on the study of Western civilization.

Requests for comments from the governor's office were redirected to Governor DeSantis' remarks made during the signing ceremony in May. He was quoted as stating that DEI should be viewed as "discrimination, exclusion, and indoctrination" and has no place within public institutions.

With this new rule in place, the Florida Board of Education has sparked debates regarding the role of diversity and inclusion in higher education and its impact on marginalized communities. The implications of this decision are likely to be closely monitored by education advocates and stakeholders across the state.