The rejection of a pilot program for Advanced Placement African American Studies by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will be the subject of a lawsuit that renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump will announce. At a news conference at the Florida Capitol, where he will be joined by representatives of the American Federation of Teachers, politicians, including South Florida State Sen. Shevrin Jones, and the three AP honors students who will act as the lead plaintiffs, Crump is anticipated to announce the lawsuit, according to MSN.com.

DeSantis reaffirmed the state’s rejection of the suggested path on Monday, claiming that it promotes a political agenda – something that three writers listed in the state’s complaint accused him of doing in response. The College Board’s course, according to DeSantis, was rejected by his administration because “we want education, not indoctrination.” The Florida Department of Education recently informed the College Board that it will ban the course unless modifications were made, as was made public last week.

The state then published a chart late on Friday in which it claimed that the course promoted the notion that modern American society oppresses Black people, other minorities, and women, that it contained a chapter on “Black Queer Studies” that the administration deemed inappropriate, and that it made use of anti-capitalist articles. The governor said that the course broke the Stop WOKE Act, which he signed last year and prohibits training that characterizes individuals as inevitably privileged or disadvantaged based on their race. The course mentions at least some authors who think that contemporary American culture supports white supremacy while repressing racial minorities, gays, and women.

“This course on Black history, what’s one of the lessons about? Queer theory. Now who would say that an important part of Black history is queer theory? That is somebody pushing an agenda,” said DeSantis, a possible Republican presidential candidate in 2024.

– Steve Sijenyi