Florida educators challenge state law on DEI policies through federal lawsuit.

The ACLU of Florida and attorneys representing educators have filed a lawsuit against Florida's Senate Bill 266, which is backed by Governor DeSantis, arguing that the law punishes educators and students for expressing differing and disfavored viewpoints.

In 2023, DEI programs and campus activities were prohibited by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who signed a bill into law that barred colleges and universities from using government funds to promote, support or maintain such initiatives.

The Florida Legislature has once again passed legislation that restricts academic freedom and imposes the state's preferred viewpoints on public higher education, punishing educators and students for expressing differing and disfavored viewpoints, as stated in a lawsuit filed last week.

The State University System of Florida defines DEI as any program, campus activity, or policy that categorizes individuals based on race, color, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation and promotes unequal or preferential treatment of individuals based on such categorization.

Conservatives have been advocating for a return to a more merit-based system and a less divisive educational curriculum.

The lawsuit alleges that the regulations on the subject are unclear, inconsistent, and overly broad, providing little guidance other than indicating the legislature and BOG's intention to discourage certain speech. The educators' lawyers also state that these regulations have caused fear among instructors and students about the future of education, free thought, and democracy in Florida.

The Board of Governors and trustees of the universities where the educators work are the defendants named in the lawsuit.

DEI has encountered obstacles in other educational areas, including the repeal of mandates by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors and the enactment of similar legislation in Alabama, Oklahoma, and Texas.

DeSantis is one of the Republicans who have openly expressed their dislike for DEI and has proudly declared Florida the state where "woke" ideals are killed.

DEI practices have been criticized by President Donald Trump, former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, and numerous red state governors.

Meanwhile, several major companies have rolled back their DEI programs recently.