Current:Home > FinanceFlorida students and professors say a new law censors academic freedom. They’re suing to stop it -Mastery Money Tools
Florida students and professors say a new law censors academic freedom. They’re suing to stop it
View
Date:2025-04-19 02:54:36
College students and professors in Florida are suing education officials over a new law spurred by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ war on “woke,” saying it violates their constitutional rights by censoring academic freedom.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court Monday by students and professors at New College, a progressive school with a prominent LGBTQ+ community that was taken over earlier this year by DeSantis and his allies, who claimed it was indoctrinating students with leftist ideology.
Florida now leads the United States “in efforts to censor academic freedom and instruction in its college classrooms,” according to the lawsuit, which is seeking a court order to block the law from being enforced.
The measure, passed by the Republican-dominated Legislature this year, outlaws spending on diversity programs, curbs professors’ tenure security and prohibits the teaching of “identity politics” in Florida public schools.
The new law also directs university leaders to monitor against programs that are based on theories “that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States and were created to maintain social, political, and economic inequities.”
The suit alleges that the law is unconstitutional because it is overly broad and chills free speech. Specifically, it says the law jeopardizes courses at the honors college on gender studies, queer studies, race, sociology, feminist philosophy and other subjects that affect the school’s curriculum, textbooks, classroom teachings, research and students’ educational experiences.
“In dictating to faculty and students what ideas are true and false, Florida runs headlong into the Bill of Rights,” the complaint states.
The suit names as defendants Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz; the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the state’s universities; and the trustees at New College, which is located in Sarasota. The Associated Press sent an email seeking comment to the education commissioner’s office and the Board of Governors’ office.
When DeSantis, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, and his allies took over the school earlier this year, they placed conservative trustees on its board and appointed an interim president who was a former Republican speaker of the Florida State House and DeSantis’ first commissioner of education.
veryGood! (3)
Related
- Why members of two of EPA's influential science advisory committees were let go
- Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
- Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
- Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
- Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
- Trump's 'stop
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
Ranking
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
- The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
- Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- The Super Bowl could end in a 'three
Recommendation
Rolling Loud 2024: Lineup, how to stream the world's largest hip hop music festival
A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power