Florida to Prevent Gender Studies and CRT Programs With New Legislation Taking Aim at Colleges and Universities.

A college student.Photo byCharles DeloyeonUnsplash

Colleges and Universities in Florida may soon see their teaching programs come under increased scrutiny. The Florida House on Tuesday filed a new bill - HB 999 - which takes aim at the curriculums of public colleges and universities in the state.

The new bill would, if passed, revise many of the current standards for post-secondary learning institutions, including general education requirements and which courses need approval from Florida's State Board of Education and Board of Governors prior to being taught. Specifically, the new bill would give the state authority to direct which programs of study are acceptable to be taught at state colleges, and outright forbids some programs currently in place.

From the text of the proposed bill (bold added by author):

The board shall periodically review the mission of each constituent university and provide updates or revisions to such mission as needed; examine existing academic programs at each constituent university for alignment with the university's mission; and provide direction to each constituent university on removing from its programs any major or minor in Critical Race Theory, Gender Studies, or Intersectionality, or any derivative major or minor of these belief systems

The legislation's definition of a "derivative major or minor" is not entirely clear, but may extend to existing programs at state universities that delve into gender, identity, or race-based issues. The bill also takes such measures to the administration of the institution itself, forbidding any considerations of race or diversity when making hiring decisions for faculty, staff, or administrators. Excerpted from the legislation:

A state university is prohibited from using diversity, equity, and inclusion statements, Critical Race Theory rhetoric, or other forms of political identity filters as part of the hiring process, including as part of applications for employment, promotion and tenure, conditions of employment, or reviewing qualifications for employment. This paragraph applies to the hiring process for any position at the university, including the position of president of the university.

The legislation is far from Florida's first foray into education during the DeSantis administration. A bill passed last year - Parental Rights in Education - prohibited the teaching of items related to sexual preference or gender identity from kindergarten through 3rd grade. The bill received national attention, where critics labeled it the "Don't Say Gay" bill. Companies also took a public position on the issue, resulting ultimately in a very public disagreement between Disney and Florida Governor DeSantis.

Disney - Orlando, FL.Photo byQuick PSonUnsplash

While reaction to the bill was negative in many corners of the country, including amongst some teachers, it did not appear to hurt DeSantis' standing at home. In his reelection bid in 2022, the governor won his race by the biggest margin seen in a statewide contest in twenty years. Controversies aside, DeSantis remains popular in his home state and has increasingly improved in national polling as well, recently besting even Donald Trump among Republicans.

It remains to be seen if this latest education proposal will draw the same attention and response as last year's Parent Rights in Education bill did. For now, the bill remains in Committee status awaiting reading and a vote. If it passes, it will go on to a floor vote in both chambers of the State Legislature before being passed to the governor for signature.

Those interested in reading the full text of the bill can click on the link at the very top of the article.