University of Florida axes all workers focused on diversity after new law passes

All employees in positions related to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at the University of Florida have been fired, a memo that was circulated this Friday said.

The firings come after the passage last year of a state law that targeted funding for DEI programs. According to officials, 13 positions were eliminated and 15 faculty administrative appointments were ended, WCJB reported.

Around $5 million that was allocated for DEI programs will be moved into a faculty recruitment fund, the memo said. Those who were fired were given 12 weeks of severance and encouraged to find jobs elsewhere at the university.

“The University of Florida is — and will always 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 memo stated.

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According to a report from The New York Times last month, the eradication of DEI programs around the country "has become both a cause and a message suffusing the American right."

"In 2023, more than 20 states considered or approved new laws taking aim at DEI, even as polling has shown that diversity initiatives remain popular," the Times' report stated.

As the Times pointed out, a California-based think tank with close ties to the MAGA world and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis first launched an initiative three years ago to combat “the leftist social justice revolution” by eliminating “social justice education” from American schools.

"The documents — grant proposals, budgets, draft reports and correspondence, obtained through public-records requests — show how the activists formed a loose network of think tanks, political groups and Republican operatives in at least a dozen states," the Times' reported.