A public university in the state of Florida has fired its top official for “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” (DEI), amid the state’s ongoing crackdown on forced diversity and other far-left practices in public education.
The Daily Caller reports that State College of Florida (SCF) has effectively fired Brenda Pinkney, the school’s current DEI director, by not renewing the position for another term, which will subsequently expire in June.
Pinkney herself believes that her termination is due to ongoing legislative efforts to eliminate positions such as hers. One bill working its way through the state legislature would eliminate DEI-related majors and minors, as well as associated activities and programs, from public universities in the state of Florida.
“Once the bill was introduced I started to wonder how the college was going to handle me … I thought it would be quick, but I didn’t think it would be this quick,” Pinkney told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. “It has been heart-wrenching watching and waiting. I’m disappointed, but it is what it is. The decision has been made.”
A spokeswoman for SCF told the Herald-Tribune following the news of Pinkney’s firing that “as a standard practice and out of respect for our employees, we do not publicly discuss their performance, employment, or contracts.” Pinkney had been a tenured employee of the university for almost 40 years, first starting in 1984.
Another university, New College of Florida (NCF) similarly fired its chief diversity officer earlier this month following a February vote by the Board of Trustees to eliminate its Office of Outreach and Inclusive Excellence.
These developments reflect the broader efforts by Governor Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) to reduce and eliminate far-left indoctrination efforts in public education, which has become one of his signature issues in recent years.