Leftists sue New College of Florida reformers for restricting their influence on students’ education funded by taxpayers.

A group of students and professors at New College of Florida ⁢are taking legal action against the university’s trustees, interim president, and Florida education officials. Their goal is to halt the enforcement⁢ of a new law​ that prohibits the inclusion of Marxist ideology in classroom curriculum.

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida on Monday,‍ the​ lawsuit ‌brought by NCF Freedom Inc.​ and New College ⁤students and professors argues that SB 266, signed ⁤into law by Gov. ⁢Ron​ DeSantis in May, violates the First Amendment. They claim it “favors and permits speech ​which opposes ideas such as diversity,⁢ equity and ‍inclusion and social activism, etc. ​but disfavors ⁣and censors speech which promotes those​ ideas.”

Under SB 266, Florida universities are prohibited from teaching curriculum that “is 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 law also ⁤prevents​ state colleges from using taxpayer money to fund‌ “diversity, equity, and ‌inclusion” (DEI) programs.

For context, ⁤DEI ‍is an ideology that dismisses merit and instead discriminates based on ‌characteristics such as skin ‍color and sexual orientation.‌ It prioritizes ⁤identity over qualifications, leading ‌to‍ the exclusion​ of individuals who ‌may be‌ more qualified but don’t meet certain identity-based criteria.

Manny Diaz Jr., the commissioner of the Florida State Board of Education,​ and the Florida Board‍ of⁤ Governors of the State University System are also named as defendants in⁣ the lawsuit.

In their‌ lawsuit,‌ NCF ​Freedom Inc. argues ⁣that ⁣SB 266⁤ would likely prohibit or ⁤restrict various programs, majors, courses,⁣ and textbooks/assignments at New College. Examples include courses like “Queer ​History: ‍Sexuality in the 20th Century United States,” “Queer Studies,” and “Race, Gender and Sexuality.” They also express concerns about the⁤ potential impact on the school’s⁢ “hard sciences,” citing the Biology major’s class on “Sex, Gender, ‌Mind and Brain.”

New College of⁤ Florida, historically⁢ known for its ⁢left-wing leanings, experienced a shift in leadership when ⁤Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed new⁣ trustees with conservative views. Among them was Christopher Rufo,⁢ a senior fellow ‍at the Manhattan Institute known for exposing critical race theory in ⁤U.S.‍ public education.

Since the ‍new conservative majority‍ took⁢ office, ⁤they ⁤have been implementing changes​ to align ‍New College with a more traditional approach. This includes replacing the ⁣former president with Richard Corcoran, a ‍former Florida‍ House speaker ⁣and Republican, and‍ recently ​voting‌ to eliminate the Gender Studies degree program‌ starting in 2024.

The Federalist reached out ‌to the DeSantis administration for​ comment but⁣ did ⁤not receive a response.

Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer ‌for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his‍ work⁤ has‌ been featured ‍in ⁤numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood