Ron DeSantis

Ron “Don’t Say Gay” DeSantis’ efforts to rebrand higher education in Florida with a right-wing twist is blowing up in his face.

Who could’ve predicted that?!

When DeSantis was ramping up for his failed presidential campaign in early 2023, he took the Sunshine State in a far-right direction, with public education at the center of his regressive agenda.

The gay-hating governor signed legislation banning instruction on sexual orientation and gender-identity in classrooms, as well as trans students from using their preferred bathroom and teachers from respecting trans students’ preferred pronouns.

On the racial side of the culture wars, DeSantis limited what schools can teach about race and U.S. history and forbade institutions from using state money for diversity programs.

And as the bigoted cherry on top, his infamous book bans primarily target titles that deal with queer and racial issues.

While many of DeSantis’ efforts to suppress education are falling apart–he’s clawed back his school book bans in a sheepish about-face–his draconian efforts at New College of Florida persist. “Meatball Ron” appointed six far-right cronies to the college’s board, and instructed them to turn the formerly liberal institution into Liberty College Lite.

Earlier this month, their repressive ideals spilled into public view, with dump trucks literally emptying hundreds of books into the trash. The school also cleared out its Gender and Diversity Center, along with all books associated with the department.

Some of the discarded titles, per the Sarasota Herald-Tribune: “Nine and Counting: The Women of the Senate, The War of the Worlds and When I Knew, which is a collection of stories from LGBTQ+ people recounting when they knew they were gay.”

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As one could imagine, the visuals of the book dump were striking.

Amidst public and student outcry, school officials denied there was a political agenda behind the unsettling disposal. A New College spokesperson told the Herald-Tribune the school was completing a routine review of its campus library and discarded books that “no longer fit students’ needs.”

The spokesperson also claimed books belonging to the gender studies department were available to students, which was news to them… if they were even on campus before school was in session.

Another student said she was told the books couldn’t be donated, because they were purchased with state funds. (God forbid taxpayer dollars go towards the public good!)

New College of Florida president Richard Corcoran issued a statement trying to whitewash the incident, citing the library’s need for physical repairs as a reason for throwing away books. But comments from members of DeSantis’ Administration and the school board gave away the game.

“Putting gender studies books in the garbage? Great job,” posted one of DeSantis’ press flaks.

“We abolished the gender studies program. Now we’re throwing out the trash,” added Rufo.

Across the state, Florida’s signature public school, the University of Florida at Gainesville, is the victim of another burgeoning scandal, albeit of the grifting variety.

Back in 2022, DeSantis hand-picked former Republican Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse as UF President. Though Sasse adhered to DeSantis’ political agenda–he gutted the university’s diversity, gender and equity program–it turns out his biggest objective wasn’t expunging the curriculum.

It was enriching himself and his GOP friends!

A stunning investigation from the school’s student newspaper, the Independent Florida Alligator, revealed that Sasse more than tripled his office’s spending during his brief stint. The president office’s spending exploded to $17.3 million from $5.6 million in former UF pres Kent Fuchs’ final year.

To quell student protesters in the wake of his appointment, Sasse pledged he would practice “political celibacy” in his role. But he proceeded to surround himself with six former Senate staffers and Republican officials, all of whom were awarded high-paying jobs and lived out of state.

Two of his ex-staffers were among the highest-ranking officials at UF, with starting salaries of $432,000 and $396, respectively. Their new positions paid hundreds of thousands more than their old gigs. (Sasse raised his former staffers’ salaries by 44% compared to what they earned on Capitol Hill.)

Though Sasse resigned in July, his UF contract will keep paying him $1 million per year through 2028. It is the scam that keeps on scamming.

And once again, everyday Floridians are the victims.

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