A special panel created by the faculty at the University of Florida has completed a review of the academic environment there, and what it has to say is not flattering.  As The Miami Herald reports, the report shows that academics in Florida live in a literal state of fear; one where they don’t dare tell the truth out of fear of reprisals from Gov. Ron DeSantis. That’s particularly true when it comes to revealing the facts about COVID-19. 

The report makes it clear that researchers felt a great deal of outside pressure in preparing research information for publication. That sometimes meant that information was delayed, or not published at all. In some cases, scientists were told not to reveal their affiliation with the university when releasing information, or to take the University of Florida name off presentations.

All because they were not allowed to do anything that could be viewed as criticizing DeSantis, or policies related to COVID-19. Faculty in the university’s Health Department were warned that funding might be “in jeopardy if they did not adopt the state’s stance on pandemic regulations in opinion articles.”

The report details a set of “specific challenges” that came with trying to study COVID-19 in Florida. Those challenges included:

“External pressure” to destroy data
Barriers to accessing and analyzing data
Barriers to publication of scientific research

The result was that scientists at the University of Florida found it difficult to contribute research in the face of a worldwide pandemic that had a direct impact on that state. When they could produce an article or presentation, it was robbed of impact through the university’s disassociation with the work.

It wasn’t just COVID-19 that came in for academic censorship. Course descriptions, websites, and other materials concerning the study of race and privilege had to be hidden, altered, or removed. The persecution in this area became so ridiculous that instructors were told:

The review describes a university operating under the heel of an overbearing governor, and a board that failed to push back against attempts to stifle research—or simple facts—that didn’t fit with the falsities being pushed by DeSantis and others. According to the report, there was a “palpable reticence and even fear” that just speaking up to protest the way research and classroom teaching were being affected would be dangerous.

Of course, just a week ago, a committee created by the university’s leadership came to exactly the opposite conclusions, declaring that the University of Florida is “free from undue influence by external persons or bodies through clear and consistently enforced policies and procedures.”

The refusal of the university leadership to admit there even is a problem provides significant insight into the level of effort they will apply to solving the issue.