Florida College Allegedly Tells Student Leaders to Remove Pride, Black Lives Matter Pins

Officials at the New College of Florida allegedly told student orientation leaders to remove Black Lives Matter and Pride pins from their uniforms while they ran the school’s new student introduction program, according to a local media report. 

The 18 orientation leaders were told to remove the pins they wore on their shirts and only use their name tags, according to a report by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. The orientation leaders then chose to place the pins on their pants and backpacks, but the school also objected to those placements. 

The orientation takes place from Aug. 20 through Aug. 23 ahead of the school’s first day of classes on Aug. 28. 

The school did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

According to Xabier Rezola, a 21-year-old student and orientation leader, the order to remove the pins came after school officials held a meeting about respecting other people’s beliefs.

"We want to provide a welcoming environment for all students and I will not censor myself for someone else's comfort," Rezola said, according to the Herald-Tribune’s report. 

The school has become far more conservative since January, when Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed six new board members to oversee the college.

The board promptly fired the college’s then-president in favor of a former state legislator and cabinet member. As a result, more than a third of the school’s faculty have quit since then.