Ron DeSantis’ ‘war on woke’ sees Florida state universities cut sociology from core options

The Florida Board of Governors has removed “Principles of Sociology” from its approved list of core options, replacing it with “Introductory Survey to 1877,” which the 17-member board said provides a “historically accurate account of America’s founding, the horrors of slavery, the resulting Civil War, and the Reconstruction Era.”

The news comes as Florida’s ‘war on woke’ continues unabated. Last month, Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. took particular aim at sociology classes on Twitter/X, saying the science “has been hijacked by left-wing activists and no longer serves its intended purpose as a general knowledge course for students.”

“Under [Governor RonDeSantis],” he continued, “Florida’s higher education system will focus on preparing students for high-demand, high-wage jobs, not woke ideology.”

The move to ban the sociology class as a core option comes just five months after the state attempted to enact strict rules about what could be taught in Advanced Placement Psychology courses, saying any topics relating to gender or sexuality must be excluded. The state eventually reached a resolution over that issue, but many schools scrapped the course still.  

The state has also made controversial changes to elementary and high schools with restrictions on what can be taught about everything from race to sexual orientation. Its “Don’t Say Gay” order catapulted the state into the national spotlight and kicked off a long-running feud with Disney, the state’s largest employer, that continues to this day.

The decision by the board of governors will impact 12 colleges and over 43,000 students. The action was first proposed in November and followed a two-week comment period.

Sociologists are decrying the move and urging the state to reverse the decision, but say they’re not surprised, given comments from Diaz and others.