BREAKING: University Of Florida Fires All Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Staff - 'Florida Is Where DEI Goes To Die'

On Friday, the University of Florida, led by former Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE), announced that it would be firing all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) staff from the university bureaucracy. The decision is a major victory for Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and conservative activists who have fought to eliminate the race-based programs from public schools.

"To comply with the Florida Board of Governor's regulation 9.016 on prohibited expenditures, the University of Florida has closed the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer, eliminated DEI positions and administrative appointments, and halted DEI-focused contracts with outside vendors," a number of top university administrators wrote in an email, per the school's paper.

The memo went on to explain that staff who were let go would be receiving 12 weeks of pay and that $5 million initially allocated to DEI programs would be used for a "faculty recruitment fund."

The school administrators also encouraged the let-go DEI staff to apply to other roles in the university by April 19 so that they can receive "expedited consideration." The email then concluded by explaining that the public university will always have a commitment to "universal human dignity."

The decision is a major victory for conservatives who have fought to eliminate DEI initiatives from public colleges and universities, with activist Christopher Rufo at the forefront of that battle. "The University of Florida has fired all employees related to DEI. The conservative counter-revolution has begun," Rufo wrote in response to the news. "Abolishing DEI was my big campaign for the last year. We've done it in multiple states, including Florida."

Republican politicians in the state also welcomed the news, with Gov. DeSantis writing, "Florida is where DEI goes to die…" Sen. Rick Scott also thanked his former colleague Ben Sasse for his excellent leadership of the school. "[Ben Sasse] continues to do all the right things at [The University of Florida], Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) explained. "Every university should follow his lead."

Read the full email to staff below:

https://twitter.com/TheAlligator/status/1763631963934482864

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