{"id":120304,"date":"2023-01-11T00:04:35","date_gmt":"2023-01-11T05:04:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/?p=120304"},"modified":"2023-01-10T23:33:39","modified_gmt":"2023-01-11T04:33:39","slug":"desantis-launches-new-strategy-to-battle-dei-as-courts-rebuke-stop-woke-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/desantis-launches-new-strategy-to-battle-dei-as-courts-rebuke-stop-woke-act\/","title":{"rendered":"DeSantis launches new strategy to battle DEI as courts rebuke Stop WOKE Act"},"content":{"rendered":"

The office of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reportedly asked state universities to disclose information on campus programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion and critical race theory amid a court battle over the controversial Stop WOKE Act<\/a>.<\/p>\n

State University System of Florida and Florida College System administrators must specify \u201cthe expenditure of state resources on programs and initiatives related to diversity, equity and inclusion, and critical race theory within our state colleges and universities,\u201d according to a Dec. 28 memo from Office of Policy and Budget Director Chris Spencer obtained<\/a> by ABC News.<\/em><\/p>\n

The requested data also includes detailing how the campus programs involve the subjects and the number of employees allocated to them, according to the news outlet, which noted the memo named Friday, Jan. 13, as the submission deadline.<\/p>\n

DeSantis\u2019 new tactic against DEI programming in public education in his state coincided with some court losses regarding his Stop WOKE Act, which the state enacted in 2022 to prohibit the teaching of critical race theory in Florida K-12 schools and universities. The law is also referred to as the Individual Freedom Act.<\/p>\n

Professors at public universities in Florida reportedly<\/a> renamed or dropped CRT-related courses as a result of the legislation.<\/p>\n

In August, a\u00a0federal judge blocked<\/a> Florida\u2019s enforcement of a major provision of the Stop WOKE Act that prohibits certain speech in workplace diversity trainings.<\/p>\n

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a nonprofit civil liberties group dedicated to protecting free speech on college campuses, filed<\/a> a lawsuit against the state in September, asserting the Stop WOKE Act violated First Amendment rights on college campuses.<\/p>\n

A federal district court ruled<\/a> in November in favor of a University of South Florida professor, undergraduate student and student group represented by FIRE, resulting in an injunction halting certain legal implications of the law for higher institutions in Florida.<\/p>\n

Quoting George Orwell in its opening line, the court decision labels<\/a> the Stop WOKE Act as \u201cpositively dystopian.\u201d<\/p>\n

The judgment asserted \u201cthe powers in charge of Florida\u2019s public university system have declared the State has unfettered authority to muzzle its professors in the name of \u2018freedom.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe law officially bans professors from expressing disfavored viewpoints in university classrooms while permitting unfettered expression of the opposite viewpoints. Defendants argue that, under this Act, professors enjoy \u2018academic freedom\u2019 so long as they express only
\nthose viewpoints of which the State approves,\u201d stated the Nov. 17 court order.<\/p>\n

Adam Steinbaugh, an attorney for FIRE, provided The College Fix<\/em> with an update on the court case in a Dec. 30 email.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter the federal district court ordered the state to halt enforcement of the higher education provisions of the Stop WOKE Act, Florida filed a notice of appeal. Florida has also asked the court of appeals to allow the state to resume enforcement of the law while the court considers the appeal,\u201d Steinbaugh said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Stop WOKE Act remains unenforceable in college classrooms, and it should stay that way. Florida needs to stop trying to censor debate on college campuses,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Bryan Griffin, press secretary for the Florida governor\u2019s executive office, this week referred The College Fix<\/em> to previous statements he has made on topic.<\/p>\n

He told The College Fix<\/em> in a Dec. 6 email that \u201cthere is a lot of misconception about what the Stop WOKE Act does and how it is implemented.\u201d<\/p>\n

Griffin explained<\/a> the intended purpose of the law prior to the injunction, telling The College Fix<\/em> in October that the legislation does not prevent the free exchange of speech or ideas.<\/p>\n

He stated that \u201ckeeping employees or students from being forced to think a certain way upon condition of employment and as directed by those with authority or influence over others (employers over employees, teachers over students) protects freedom of thought.\u201d<\/p>\n

MORE: Federal judge blocks key part of Florida\u2019s Stop WOKE Act, rules it violates First Amendment<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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