The Republican governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, has faced setbacks in his efforts to promote a conservative agenda in higher education. Recently, Sarasota’s New College came under scrutiny for purging thousands of library books, including those related to gender and diversity. Critics compared the act to Nazi book burning, with some linking it to the extremist Project 2025 agenda associated with former President Donald Trump.
The university’s president, Richard Corcoran, described the book dump as routine weeding out of old or damaged books, but critics were not convinced. DeSantis’s inner circle, including education activist Christopher Rufo and communications director Bryan Griffin, seemed to support the purge of gender studies books as propaganda.
In Gainesville, the University of Florida was rocked by revelations of exorbitant spending by the former president, Ben Sasse, a DeSantis appointee. Sasse, who resigned following a turbulent tenure, allegedly channeled millions into secret consulting contracts and jobs for his Republican associates. The DeSantis administration is now investigating the spending, which has raised concerns about the university’s stewardship of state funds.
Student journalists at the university’s newspaper, the Independent Florida Alligator, played a crucial role in uncovering the spending scandal and shedding light on the opaque selection process that led to Sasse’s appointment. With Sasse gone, students and staff are apprehensive about the influence of DeSantis’s appointees on the selection of his successor. Critics, including Democratic politicians, have raised questions about the integrity of the investigation into Sasse’s tenure and criticized the Republican party’s handling of the situation.
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