Federal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit From Florida Professors Challenging DEI Funding Ban
“Walker said most of these professors’ claims didn’t show how the funding restrictions from the law applied to them”
This is another win. DEI policies must not be allowed to come back. They’re divisive and destructive.
The Tallahassee Democrat reports:
Judge dismisses college DEI funding lawsuit except for UF professor’s free speech claim
A federal judge largely dismissed arguments but agreed with one Florida professor raising First Amendment concerns, in a lawsuit in which university professors challenged a 2023 law that banned funding for public college and university diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.
In a Sept. 25 order, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker dismissed arguments challenging some provisions of SB 266, which prohibits “general education” courses from including teachings that demonstrate systemic racism, sexism, oppression and privilege as inherent in the country’s institutions. Walker ruled that the professors don’t have a constitutional right to have their courses designated as “general education” courses as part of the state’s public university curriculum.
He also said some professors didn’t demonstrate standing to proceed against their employers, including Florida State University, University of South Florida and Florida International University. Walker said most of these professors’ claims didn’t show how the funding restrictions from the law applied to them, other than explaining fears and concerns without a “constitutional injury.”
One professor did.
Sharon Austin, a political science professor at the University of Florida, argued that she was denied funding to attend an international inclusion conference in 2024 and sought to seek funding again this October along with other events which she received funding in the past.
“Given UF’s recent enforcement of the funding restrictions against Dr. Austin and her specific plans to apply for funding to attend and present at the same and similar events in the near future, this Court is persuaded that Dr. Austin, at this juncture, has alleged facts demonstrating a plausible injury in fact — the denial of funds and imminent threatened denial of funding — traceable to the Defendants’ enforcement of the challenged funding restrictions and redressable by an injunction prohibiting further enforcement,” Walker wrote.
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Comments
so is affrimaction legal or not??
and then how is the law enforced when you are told you cant use race etc
but they do in fact use race…fjb came right out and said he was using race and gender in hiring and protecting those fired who fit the mold
what a bunch of bs we have allowed
The judge threw all but one of the lawsuits out without hearing them. He allowed one to proceed to trial. The complainant can still lose it, and I suspect probably will.
This has nothing to do with “affirmative action”. It’s about what professors can teach, and the extent to which their freedom of speech is being infringed.
The dismissal of the suits doesn’t say anything; they were dismissed because the plaintiffs had no standing, not because of anything else. The one plaintiff who did have standing will get to have her suit heard in due course.
There are some stupid or dishonest commenters here who claim standing is something invented recently by leftist judges, and that it’s never applied to the left. This case proves them wrong.