Florida prohibits DEI in public colleges amid 'Stop WOKE' legal battles

The Florida Board of Education has implemented regulations to limiting public funds for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs in public Florida schools.

The Florida Board of Education has passed regulations limiting the use of public funds for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs, activities and policies in the public college system.

The board defines DEI as "any program, campus activity, or policy that classifies individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation and promotes differential or preferential treatment of individuals on the basis of such classification."

DEI, as defined by DEI professionals, is aimed at correcting inequities within an organization for marginalized groups -- this could include implementing accessibility measures for people with disabilities, correcting discriminatory hiring practices, addressing gender and racial pay inequities and more.

This could also look like anti-racism or anti-bias training and has its roots in the anti-discrimination legislative movement of the 1960s of which the Civil Rights Act and Age Discrimination in Employment Act were born, according to ABC News' past interviews with DEI professions.

The rule adopted by the Board will prohibit Florida College System institutions from using state or federal funds to administer programs that may be defined under the state's definition of DEI. This could impact classes, clubs, and other programs on public Florida campuses.