Having Cowed New College of Florida, DeSantis Unleashes Attack Dog on FSU

It was just a little over three weeks ago that Florida Fascist Governor Ron DeSantis appointed anti-woke activist Christopher Rufo to the Board of Trustees of The New College of Florida…

“The latest battle in Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s ongoing crusade against “wokeness”—or, if you prefer, the latest maneuver in his march toward the 2024 Republican presidential nomination—is getting a lot of attention. After earlier attempts to clamp down on progressive left ideologies in schools, colleges, and other institutions via legislation, DeSantis is moving to reshape a state college in a more conservative image by overhauling its leadership. On January 6, he announced the appointment of six people to vacant seats on the thirteen‐​member board of trustees of the New College of Florida, a small but highly rated and politically progressive liberal arts school in Sarasota, Florida.

The most prominent among the new trustees is also the youngest: Manhattan Institute fellow and anti‐​woke culture warrior Christopher Rufo, who told New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg that he plans to conduct a “a top‐​down restructuring” of the college—and that he sees it as the first step in a broader plan for conservatives to “reconquer public institutions all over the United States.” Most of the other DeSantis appointees are in the same ideological mold. Once approved by the GOP‐​dominated state senate, they will likely form a solid conservative majority on the board, with two allies who are already on it and with the filling of another vacancy by the heavily pro‐​DeSantis Florida Board of Governors.”

… and their plan of the destruction of the progressive institute of higher learning is well under way:

“The whirlwind unleashed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that rapidly is reshaping New College of Florida picked up speed Tuesday with the president fired amid a broad leadership overhaul that capped a momentous few hours for the Sarasota school.

A slate of new board members installed by DeSantis earlier this month replaced college President Patricia Okker with former GOP House speaker and education commissioner Richard Corcoran, installed a DeSantis appointee as the new board chair, moved to hire a former Republican lawmaker as the school’s new general counsel and began the process of abolishing programs aimed at increasing diversity, equity and inclusion on campus, turbo charging a dramatic conservative culture shift.

Corcoran has been an eager participant in the governor’s education culture war battles, and soon will take the lead in his experiment in overhauling a public university to match his conservative approach to higher education. Corcoran can’t takeover as interim president until March, so a college administrator will serve in the role until then…

…Fighting back tears, an emotional Okker said she couldn’t go along with “this new mandate where this is a hostile takeover and a dramatic change in the mission.” Members of the audience – some in tears themselves – urged her to fight for her job. Okker apologized for disappointing them.

“I believe a president needs to stand behind her words when she asks donors to contribute,” she said. “It is the only way that I can be effective. You cannot ask me to go forward and argue that we are indoctrinating students here. I do not believe it.”

And now, Ron Filipowski points out that the Gubernator and Rufo have set their sights oh his alma mater, Florida State University.

👀😳👀😳. New College first, FSU coming next; spreading quickly

— kathleen jones (@kathlee13213897) February 3, 2023

Yup

Just wait for Kristallnacht 2: Electric Boogaloo. It's coming if we let them keep this crap up.

— Jotun Veiðimaður (@war3rd) February 3, 2023

😬😬😬

Wannabe dictator DeSantis will not stop until he completely controls education in Florida, from banning books, don't say Gay law, and now firing and replacing New College president Okker without cause.

— suncoastmike (@suncoastmikef) February 3, 2023

Dick move.

When D1 athletics start to suffer, the pitchforks will be plentiful.

— Chip Brooks (@ChipCBrooks) February 3, 2023

Yup. If I were in charge of LSU and USC athletics I’d start recruiting Florida now.

When is Rufo going to admit he’s the grand dragon?😡🔥

— Civics and Civility are essential!😎 (@BeaReno) February 3, 2023

I think the hood is pretty well off now.

Poor Christians. They just don't get a break in this country.

— Sweetmamajuju (@Sweetmamajuju1) February 3, 2023

🙄🙄🙄

You’d think it’d be unthinkable but @RonDeSantisFL and @realchrisrufo kicking off black history month, by banning scholarships for blacks and CRT IN COLLEGE is the least surprising thing of 2023 so far.

— Ghost of Dark Maga Past (@DVinson79) February 3, 2023

Yup

Can't wait to see what happens when FSU degrees are not good enough for Grad School in other states.

— Jane Brown (@JaneBro16697771) February 3, 2023

It’s coming.

These two are gonna put Florida underwater before climate change has a chance.