In one of the bigger victories of Ron DeSantis' governorship, "diversity, equity, and inclusion" initiatives are officially dead at the University of Florida. 

Senate Bill 266, which was signed into law by DeSantis in 2023, has gone into effect and forced the move. The University of Florida subsequently sent out a memo closing its DEI department and ending all contracts with DEI vendors. More importantly, all staffers who were employed in DEI positions have been fired.

READ: DeSantis Chalks Up Another Policy Win, Ends DEI in State Schools

Off the heels of new state law and rules, University of Florida has nixed its diversity, equity and inclusion staff, also known as DEI.

In an administrative memo, administrators announced that to comply with new Board of Governors rules, it has removed its DEI “positions and administrative appointments” and stopped contracts with DEI-focused vendors, per school paper The Independent Florida Alligator.

BREAKING: UF fired all staff in positions related to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, effective immediately. pic.twitter.com/D5qMSmBKWN

— The Alligator (@TheAlligator) March 1, 2024

Reading the announcement, it's hard to not sense the anguish being felt by the university's leadership. They clearly did not want to do this, and it's apparent by the language used throughout the statement. 

To try to soften the blow, the fired staffers are being offered the chance to apply for other positions within the school's structure. DeSantis can't ban former DEI employees from ever working again, but given the lack of qualifications among DEI departments, I have a feeling most of those given the boot will flee to other states in hopes of securing their next grift. I doubt your average DEI employee has the ability to take a job doing something else. They are con artists at their core, and con artists don't go straight.

At the end of the statement is a promise by the University of Florida to still have an "unwavering" commitment to "universal human dignity." Whatever that means, the school will no longer have the legal ability to punish students for having the wrong immutable characteristics in the name of "diversity." DeSantis isn't going anywhere, and if they push the envelope, you can bet he'll be back for another pound of flesh. I suspect the university's leadership will tread lightly going forward.

Regardless, this marks a major milestone in the battle against DEI. This is the first time in the history of the perverted ideology that an institution has been forced to abandon it. The war isn't over, and there are many battles left to fight, but this is a win worth celebrating and building on. Other Republican governors should take note and follow DeSantis' lead.