A Florida union that represents university faculty members across the state has joined a lawsuit challenging a recent law that calls for a survey of beliefs of university and college professors.
United Faculty of Florida announced it would join other students and faculty members in challenging the 'intellectual diversity' law (HB 233), which was signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last month. The law requires the state Board of Education to conduct yearly assessments on the ideological beliefs of college professors in order "to assess the status of intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity."
In a statement, UFF says the law is a "political stunt" that undermines free speech, assembly and privacy.
The lawsuit claims that HB 233 unlawfully targets and discriminates based "on the viewpoint with the goal of chilling some and compelling other speech, as well as chilling the freedom to associate with groups that share the viewpoints that HB 233 is designed to suppress."
