At a Feb. 28 meeting of the New College Board of Trustees — when the conservative majority voted to eliminate the school's Office of Outreach and Inclusive Excellence — it signaled approval of a recommendation to reassign the office's four full-time employees.
But last week, Interim President Richard Corcoran fired Yoleidy Rosario-Hernandez, the school's dean for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
During the February meeting, board member Christopher Rufo made a motion to eliminate the DEI office and "authorize the interim president to make necessary or appropriate personnel decisions.”
When asked for comment, a New College spokesperson did not offer a reason for the dismissal. An email response simply stated that "the Office of Outreach and Inclusive Excellence has been abolished and the position is no longer necessary.”
In a media event hosted by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday, Rufo called college DEI initiatives "a vehicle for left wing political activists to hijack public resources."
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