TAMPA, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis announced a lawsuit against the Biden administration over higher education accreditation on Thursday morning.
DeSantis made the announcement at Hillsborough Community College in Ybor alongside Attorney General Ashley Moody, Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz Jr., and State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues.
DeSantis said accreditation agencies "believe they know better than the people of Florida. They believe that Florida should potentially lose student aid as a result of making these types of reforms."
DeSantis was referring to recent changes to higher education, including a bill to defund diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at all state universities, which he previously called a "distraction from the core mission."
RECOMMENDED:
- What does Florida's No. 1 in education really mean?
- Florida’s universal school vouchers get DeSantis signature despite cost concerns
He said the Biden administration is seeking to "crackdown" on the state of Florida over the recent higher education changes.
"We reject the idea that a totally unaccountable, unappointed, unelected accrediting agency can trump what the state of Florida is doing," DeSantis said.
DeSantis said he believes it violates the federal constitution to allow these agencies to have the power they do. It was a message echoed by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody.
"For too long, private academic accreditors have been holding our colleges and universities hostage," Moody said in a release.
In Florida, the accreditor for higher education is the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). In addition to Florida, SACS serves as the accrediting agency for Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee.
Watch the full press conference below.
