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Mar 10 • 7 tweets • 3 min read
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has unleashed a series of measures harmful to students of color and gay and transgender students in his home state.

We’re using public records requests to investigate these right-wing attacks on education and student expression. #FoiaFriday Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis h...
In 2022, DeSantis signed the Stop WOKE Act, which prohibited the teaching of certain concepts that could make students feel “guilt, anguish, or any other forms of psychological distress” because of their race or national origin.
americanoversight.org/in-the-documen…
He also signed the Parental Rights in Education Act — also known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill — which banned teaching children about gender or sexual identity.
npr.org/2022/03/28/108…
In January 2023, DeSantis said he would reject a proposed Advanced Placement African American Studies course. The College Board later removed many of the criticized contemporary Black authors and content from its required curriculum nationwide.
axios.com/2023/02/03/col… Image
The Florida governor has also targeted higher education, including by working to turn New College of Florida, a progressive public college, into a conservative institution.
nytimes.com/2023/02/14/us/…
We have filed records requests for emails between the Florida Education Department officials and far-right groups, as well as for communications about school policies, curricula, and related issues.
americanoversight.org/document/recor…
We have also submitted requests to sheriff departments in Florida for communications with Moms for Liberty.
americanoversight.org/document/publi…

Learn more about our investigation into attacks on education and student expression in Florida and other states here:
americanoversight.org/investigation/…

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More from @weareoversight

American Oversight Profile picture
Mar 10
NEW: We reached a settlement agreement in a suit against the CDC over its illegal practice of rejecting valid FOIAs. The settlement requires that the CDC send an instructional email to FOIA staff regarding the improper rejection of FOIAs as “overly broad.”
americanoversight.org/public-records…
The CDC used the claim that FOIAs were “overly broad” to deny several of American Oversight’s requests related to the pandemic in 2020. We sued in May 2020.
americanoversight.org/document/compl…
Following negotiations, the CDC agreed to send an email to its FOIA staff instructing them to find requests overly broad “only when appropriate,” with American Oversight providing significant input on the content of the email.
Read 5 tweets
American Oversight Profile picture
Mar 8
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is attempting to transform New College — a small, progressive public college — to be more conservative. We’re using public records requests to investigate.
In January, DeSantis removed six of New College’s 13 trustees and replaced them with conservative allies. The new board then replaced the college’s president with Richard Corcoran, DeSantis’ former education commissioner.
nytimes.com/2023/02/14/us/…
Records we previously obtained shed light on Corcoran’s time in DeSantis’ administration. In April 2021, DeSantis’ chief of staff emailed his external affairs director what appears to be an agenda. On the list: “Direct Corcoran on Critical Race Theory.”
Read 5 tweets
American Oversight Profile picture
Mar 8
Conservative political leaders across the country are launching attacks on public education by limiting what instructors can teach about racism and gender. We’re investigating these egregious attempts to politicize, censor, and weaken public education.
americanoversight.org/investigation/…
Across the country, states are passing measures to restrict the rights of students, drum up political support among aggrieved conservative parents, and whitewash and deteriorate public education.
apnews.com/article/utah-s…
Often under the false banner of “parents’ rights,” and taking cues from far-right groups, these efforts threaten to leave underrepresented minorities behind and bring classrooms into the arena of right-wing culture wars.
apnews.com/article/religi…
Read 5 tweets
American Oversight Profile picture
Mar 7
We believe that transparency is the first step to accountability.

So every week, we submit public records requests to local, state, and federal agencies.

Here’s a roundup of requests we’ve recently filed. #FOIA
Records request to the Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office seeking external emails of newly elected Sec. Chuck Gray.
americanoversight.org/document/recor…
Records request to the Kansas Office of the Attorney General seeking external emails of newly elected Attorney General Kris Kobach.
americanoversight.org/document/recor…
Read 5 tweets
American Oversight Profile picture
Mar 7
We’re investigating the “constitutional sheriffs” movement—a fringe theory that holds that sheriffs have more law enforcement power in their home counties than any other government body—including the movement’s ties to anti-immigration or extremist groups.
americanoversight.org/investigation/…
The movement has gained attention in recent years as self-proclaimed constitutional sheriffs have refused to enforce government-enacted public safety guidelines, including those issued in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and mass shootings.
splcenter.org/fighting-hate/…
Supporters of the constitutional sheriff ideology also have shared racist and anti-immigrant beliefs on right-wing media, have been accused of mistreatment of immigrant detainees, and have been linked to anti-immigration groups.
Read 10 tweets
American Oversight Profile picture
Mar 6
Last week, @propublica published an in-depth look at how the Thomas More Society, an anti-abortion legal group, has embraced the election denial movement as part of its long-term strategy. We previously investigated the organization.
propublica.org/article/anti-a… Image
“The Thomas More Society aggressively pursued scores of lawsuits and complaints across the country” — including in Wisconsin, home to the discredited and partisan election investigation initiated by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos.
Our litigation for records revealed the group’s outsized influence over the inquiry, from its subleasing of office space to its representatives being in frequent contact with attorney Michael Gableman, who led the inquiry until his firing last summer.
americanoversight.org/in-the-documen…
Read 4 tweets

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