ATTACKING THE ACCREDITORS

Ron DeSantis Takes Aim at Department of Education in New Lawsuit

The lawsuit challenges the federal government’s system for accrediting universities. The White House thinks it’s just another installment in DeSantis’ education culture war.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has brought what the White House described as a “culture war”-fueled lawsuit against the Biden Administration and the Department of Education. DeSantis’ lawsuit targets a federal law requiring universities receiving federal funding to get approval from private accreditors, the Associated Press reported. “We’re asking the court to find this arrangement to be unconstitutional,” DeSantis said. The White House soon fired back. “If Republican elected officials could have their way, library shelves would be stocked with guns—not books—and curriculums would be loaded with conspiracy theories, not facts,” White House spokesperson Abdullah Hasan told the AP. “We’re committed to ensuring all students receive a high-quality education, and will fight this latest effort by opponents to get in the way of that.” The lawsuit follows DeSantis’ overhauling of Florida’s university system, which included passing a law that allows universities to sue accreditors for damages.