NFL Star Furious Over University’s DEI Department Cut

(ProsperNews.net) – NFL Hall of Fame star Emmitt Smith said he is outraged by the University of Florida’s decision to abolish its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) department. The Super Bowl champion, who played for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s, said the end of the DEI department means it falls to the Office of the Provost to “advance the academic studies in athletic programs.”

Mr. Smith also believes that DEI is essential in universities to advance “diverse thinking” and to include input from people of various backgrounds in the direction of academic institutions. He concluded that the University of Florida had conformed to political pressure and closed out minority voices. Smith urged people to speak out against the plans and oppose the “systemic issues” behind them.

The University’s decision stems from a bill Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law last year. The legislation banned the Sunshine State’s public colleges and educational institutions from spending money on DEI projects, which the Governor described as “indoctrination,” which “has no place in our institutions.”

In response, the University of Florida has axed its chief diversity officer, scrapped any DEI-related contracts, and ended the employment of DEI staff. Five million dollars set aside for diversity programs has been redirected to a recruitment fund.

Mr. Smith is not the only person to object, as some Democratic lawmakers have also denounced the move. State Rep. Yvonne Hayes Hinson accused Governor DeSantis of engaging in “culture wars” that Floridians will soon tire of and end Republican control of the state legislature.

When Governor DeSantis signed the legislation in 2023, the United Faculty of Florida, representing 25,000 educators, issued a statement saying it was “absolutely, clearly a violation of the First Amendment rights of students and faculty.” It also accused DeSantis of flouting US Supreme Court protections that guarantee academic freedom on American campuses. United Faculty President Andrew Gothard announced that his group had unanimously condemned the DeSantis legislation.