University of Florida fires all DEI employees in compliance with state law

The University of Florida is firing all employees in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) positions and administrative appointments, according to a memo sent on Friday.

"To comply with the Florida Board of Governor’s regulation 9.016 on prohibited expenditures, the University of Florida has closed the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer, eliminated DEI positions and administrative appointments, and halted DEI-focused contracts with outside vendors," the memo states.

"Under the direction of UF Human Resources, university employees whose positions were eliminated will receive UF’s standard twelve weeks of pay. These colleagues are allowed and encouraged to apply, between now and Friday, April 19, for expedited consideration for different positions currently posted with the university. UF HR will work to fast-track the interview process and provide an answer on all applications within the twelve-week window."

The Independent Florida Alligator, a campus newspaper, said 13 full-time diversity, equity and inclusion positions were dismissed and 15 administrative appointments were eliminated.

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has made halting DEI a cornerstone of his efforts to overhaul education in the state, wrote on X, "Florida is where DEI goes to die."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis praised the University of Florida's elimination of DEI programs. ( Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

"DEI is toxic and has no place in our public universities. I’m glad that Florida was the first state to eliminate DEI and I hope more states follow suit," DeSantis added.

The Florida Board of Education passed the regulation in January limiting public funding for DEI, defining them as "any program, campus activity, or policy that classifies individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation and promotes differential or preferential treatment of individuals on the basis of such classification."

DEI campus proponents argue they help correct systemic inequities and address increasingly diverse student populations, while its foes like DeSantis have said they are a form of leftist discrimination. 

Conservative activist Christopher Rufo also celebrated the decision, writing on X, "The conservative counter-revolution has begun."

"Higher education must return to its essential foundations of academic integrity and the pursuit of knowledge instead of being corrupted by destructive ideologies," Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. said last month. "These actions today ensure that we will not spend taxpayers’ money supporting DEI and radical indoctrination that promotes division in our society."

Gainesville, University of Florida, campus entrance with students. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

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The University of Florida memo added that the Office of the Chief Financial Officer would reallocate the approximately $5 million in funds previously reported to Tallahassee for DEI expenses into a faculty recruitment fund. 

The memo added a defiant statement at the end.

"Finally, the University of Florida is – and will always be – unwavering in our commitment to universal human dignity. As we educate students by thoughtfully engaging a wide range of ideas and views, we will continue to foster a community of trust and respect for every member of the Gator Nation. The University of Florida is an elite institution because of our incredible faculty who are committed to teaching, discovering, and serving," the memo states.

The president of the University of Florida is former Republican Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, who took over the post last year. It's one of the largest universities in the United States with more than 61,000 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled.

Fox News' Jeffrey Clark contributed to this report.