Saying the course promotes ideology, Florida's State Board of Education on Friday removed sociology from the list of general education offerings available at the state’s 28 public colleges.

With its unanimous vote, the board directed trustees at the 23 schools that included sociology on their course lists for 2026-27 to remove them as soon as possible.

Students who have already completed the course to meet general education requirements will not be penalized, Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas said.

The board’s action follows a similar move by the State University System Board of Governors, which also left sociology available as an elective but not as a general course.

Kamoutsas said he recommended the move in part to ensure that students in Florida’s higher education system have consistent academic expectations, noting that more than half of college students continue at state universities.

Those expectations must be based on a sound foundation, Kamoutsas added.

“General education is not an experimental space for disciplines that cannot meet clearly defined academic standards,” he said. “Despite all of our efforts, sociology continues to be a sinking ship.”

He contended that the course has strayed from education into indoctrination, “pushing ideological narratives instead of fostering genuine critical thinking.”

The crux of the dispute came as state officials insisted that the course be scrubbed of “identity politics” as directed in 2023 law, an effort that university professors pushed back against as not living up to the standards of the field of study. As many refused to use what they viewed as a “watered down” textbook and curriculum, the Board of Governors and next the Board of Education decided to remove the course from the general education list.

State Board Vice Chair Marylynn Magar asked what would happen to students who have already completed the course and planned to use it to meet their graduation requirements.

“Nobody is going to lose out on a class they have already taken,” whether 10 years ago or last week, Kamoutsas said.

Shortly after the vote, the Department of Education sent out a news alert announcing the decision. Chairperson Ryan Petty, who did not speak during debate on the issue, said in the release that the action drew a “firm line.”

“We will ensure every general education course meets the standards set forth in law without exception,” he said.

_____

©2026 Tampa Bay Times. Visit tampabay.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.