College Professors Sue Florida For Abolishing Tenure

Florida Politics reports:

Three Florida professors are suing Florida over a new law abolishing tenure. A suit filed in Leon County circuit court is backed by NCF Freedom, a group formed after Gov. Ron DeSantis replaced the majority of the New College of Florida (NCF) Board of Trustees with conservative appointees.

The lawsuit, from tenured professors Sarah Hernandez, Adriana Novoa and Steven Willis, challenges an overhaul of Florida’s higher education system passed in 2023. Among the changes was a transformation of the tenure track for professors at all of Florida’s universities.

“Without the protections of tenure, a professor’s free speech is at risk of being chilled, the progress of intellectual inquiry will be threatened, and students may no longer be exposed to cutting-edge or novel thoughts and ideas,” said University of Florida Emeritus Professor Joseph W. Little, lead counsel on the lawsuit.

Read the full article. Many such “culture war” moves by DeSantis have been struck down by federal courts.

In new lawsuit, #Florida professors say the @GovRonDeSantis‘ administration’s tenure changes chill free speech & harm academics https://t.co/3LOx7Pj6RQ via @DouglasSoule

— Craig Pittman (@craigtimes) August 1, 2024