Former Florida Gators star running back and three-time Super Bowl champion with the Dallas Cowboys, Emmitt Smith, is “disgusted” by the University of Florida’s decision to comply with The Sunshine State’s law that limits public funding for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs.
As BizPac Review reported, Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law outlawing the usage of DEI at state-funded universities in May 2023.
In compliance with the law, on March 1, the University of Florida (UF) announced in an administrative memo that it had eliminated all of its DEI positions.
“To comply with the Florida Board of Governor’s regulation 9.016 on prohibited expenditures, the University of Florida has closed the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer, eliminated DEI positions and administrative appointments, and halted DEI-focused contracts with outside vendors,” the memo read.
BREAKING: UF fired all staff in positions related to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, effective immediately. pic.twitter.com/D5qMSmBKWN — The Alligator (@TheAlligator) March 1, 2024
According to a campus newspaper, the Independent Florida Alligator, “UF fired 13 full-time diversity, equity and inclusion positions and ended 15 administrative appointments for faculty Friday.”
Smith took to X on Sunday to voice his outrage.
“I’m utterly disgusted by UF’s decision and the precedent that it sets,” he wrote in a lengthy statement. “Without the DEI department, the job falls to the Office of the Provost, who already has their hands full, to raise money for the university and continue to advance the academic studies in athletic programs.”
pic.twitter.com/NkMvqkkHJa — Emmitt Smith (@EmmittSmith22) March 3, 2024
“We cannot continue to believe and trust that a team of leaders all made up of the same background will make the right decision when it comes to equality and diversity,” the NFL legend continued. “History has already proven that is not the case.”
DeSantis has made ending DEI — which he defines as “discrimination, Exclusion and Indoctrination”– in Florida’s schools a cornerstone of his administration.
It “has no place in our public universities!” he exclaimed in January.
DEI (Discrimination, Exclusion and Indoctrination) has no place in our public universities! https://t.co/oY7nMETE0J — Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) January 30, 2024
On Friday he celebrated UF’s firings, writing on X, “Florida is where DEI goes to die…”
Florida is where DEI goes to die… https://t.co/1PsGgHE6nP — Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) March 1, 2024
But, according to Smith, “We need diverse thinking and backgrounds to enhance our University and the DEI department is necessary to accomplish those goals.”
“Instead of showing courage and leadership, we continue to fail based on systemic issues with this decision, UF has conformed to the political pressures of today’s time,” he wrote. “To the MANY minority athletes at UF, please be aware and vocal about this decision by the University who is now closing the doors on other minorities without any oversight.”
“And to those who think it’s not your problem and stay on the side lines and say nothing,” Smith added, “you are complicit in supporting systemic issues.”
Fans of the football star urged the icon to stay in his lane.
“Stick to football,” one user replied. “Horrible take.”
Stick to football. Horrible take. — Spitfire (@DogRightGirl) March 3, 2024
Another user noted the flaw in Smith’s argument.
“You use the word “Equality”; the “E” in DEI means Equity, not Equality,” the user stated. “Equity will inherently give some folks preferential treatment and discriminate against others, those decisions are based on the Melanin quantity in their skin or their sexual preferences.”
“The same reasons that made it wrong during Jim Crow,” the user said, “make it wrong today.”
You use the word “Equality”; the “E” in DEI means Equity, not Equality. Equity will inherently give some folks preferential treatment and discriminate against others, those decisions are based on the Melanin quantity in their skin or their sexual preferences. The same reasons… — Dr. Merica! (@Dr_Merica2) March 3, 2024
“While I can understand some of the frustration, this is the wrong take,” one fellow Gator told Smith. “As someone who graduated from UF far more recently than you, I can attest to the political bias that the university has had favoring leftist ideology, and DEI has been the nexus for much of this bias.”
While I can understand some of the frustration, this is the wrong take. As someone who graduated from UF far more recently than you, I can attest to the political bias that the university has had favoring leftist ideology, and DEI has been the nexus for much of this bias. — Austin Buholtz (@AustinBuholtz) March 4, 2024