DeSantis Sues Biden Over Stopping FL Education Reforms

Education has become a centerpiece of Governor Ron DeSantis' (R-FL) tenure as governor.  Now the state of Florida is suing the Biden Administration for blocking the governor from increasing efforts to bring transparency and accountability to public colleges and universities.

Gov. DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody (R-FL) have claimed that the move by the Biden Administration is unconstitutional, as the federal government collaborated with accreditation bodies in order to stop Florida's higher education reforms.

"I will not allow Joe Biden’s Department of Education to defund America’s #1 higher education system all because we refuse to bow to unaccountable accreditors who think they should run Florida’s public universities," said DeSantis. "Throughout my time in office, I have made it a priority to bring transparency and accountability to higher education and to reorient the mission of our colleges and universities away from purveying destructive ideologies and back toward the pursuit of truth and the preparation of our students for success. The Biden administration’s attempts to block these reforms is an abuse of federal power, and with this lawsuit, we will ensure that Florida’s pursuit of educational excellence will continue."

Last year, Governor DeSantis signed legislation that requires colleges and universities to seek accreditation from different accreditors in consecutive accreditation cycles. Prior to that legislation, accrediting agencies had a monopoly on Florida colleges and universities and were able to control their operations by threatening to withhold accreditation if an institution didn’t adhere to the ideological agenda promoted by its accreditor.

In response, the U.S. Department of Education issued "guidance documents" prescribed for Florida, which reaffirmed the standards that the federal government has for institutions to change accreditors.  The burden the Biden Administration has placed on institutions is too high, according to the state of Florida.

DeSantis has stated he, "will not allow Florida’s public colleges and universities to be held hostage by accreditors that are unaccountable to the people of Florida."