Florida board bans use of state, federal dollars for DEI programs at state universities

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The board that oversees Florida’s 12 public universities has voted to ban using state or federal dollars for diversity programs or activities, aligning with a law signed last spring by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. The state Board of Governors approved the regulation in a voice vote on Wednesday. The law is part of a broader Republican push nationwide to target diversity, equity and inclusion programs in higher education. It also prohibits tax money from being used to fund “political or social activism,” although student fees can pay for that. The board opted to replace sociology as a core requirement in favor of a U.S. history class, another education priority of conservatives.