Florida Tech President Admits ‘Tweaking the Language’ of ‘DEI Courses’ to Bypass DeSantis-Backed Ban and Secure $7 Million in Taxpayer Funding

[Excerpt UNKNOWN MALE I ░░░░░░░░ with the O Keefe ░░░░░░░░ Group and we re ░░░░░░░░ a story and we ░░░░░░░░ someone who secretly recorded ░░░░░░░░ meeting in your office ░░░░░░░░ about DEI and exposed ░░░░░░░░ you were changing the ░░░░░░░░ Clip starts NICKLOW We ░░░░░░░░ seeing specific projects being ░░░░░░░░ because they have the ░░░░░░░░ in executive summary climate ░░░░░░░░ and environmental I mean ░░░░░░░░ got to me personally ░░░░░░░░ is kind of my ░░░░░░░░ If you go to ░░░░░░░░ federal government right now ░░░░░░░░ seek funding for this ░░░░░░░░ and they talk a ░░░░░░░░ about climate change impacts ░░░░░░░░ manatees et cetera it ░░░░░░░░ t be funded If ░░░░░░░░ word it as surveillance ░░░░░░░░ defense you ll probably ░░░░░░░░ money Clip ends O ░░░░░░░░ One of the individuals ░░░░░░░░ worked here had a ░░░░░░░░ with the president in ░░░░░░░░ office with all of ░░░░░░░░ senior staff and recorded ░░░░░░░░ president a man named ░░░░░░░░ Nicklow talking about changing ░░░░░░░░ wording to get around ░░░░░░░░ presidential executive order in ░░░░░░░░ not to lose funding ░░░░░░░░ starts O KEEFE Can ░░░░░░░░ show you that clip ░░░░░░░░ quick Just NICKLOW That ░░░░░░░░ not true No no ░░░░░░░░ s not true at ░░░░░░░░ O KEEFE It s ░░░░░░░░ true NICKLOW No Clip ░░░░░░░░ O KEEFE In the ░░░░░░░░ that was covertly recorded ░░░░░░░░ discussed a meeting that ░░░░░░░░ to be with Governor ░░░░░░░░ DeSantis or some high ░░░░░░░░ state official in Tallahassee ░░░░░░░░ describes in that meeting ░░░░░░░░ he obtained 7 million ░░░░░░░░ funding Clip starts NICKLOW ░░░░░░░░ how this really came ░░░░░░░░ to me is I ░░░░░░░░ in Tallahassee so I ░░░░░░░░ a seven million dollar ░░░░░░░░ We talked about the ░░░░░░░░ we literally sat at ░░░░░░░░ desk and turned two ░░░░░░░░ around and said Why ░░░░░░░░ you so woke And ░░░░░░░░ pulled out two examples ░░░░░░░░ uh one was ICCM ░░░░░░░░ I called Rich on ░░░░░░░░ way home kind of ░░░░░░░░ the language And said ░░░░░░░░ people are just looking ░░░░░░░░ words OK Clip ends ░░░░░░░░ KEEFE Where sources say ░░░░░░░░ duplicity came in is ░░░░░░░░ after that meeting the ░░░░░░░░ of the university went ░░░░░░░░ the deal and then ░░░░░░░░ he was going to ░░░░░░░░ back with the 7 ░░░░░░░░ Clip starts NICKLOW Part ░░░░░░░░ me on the drive ░░░░░░░░ thinking about this Why ░░░░░░░░ t We fight back ░░░░░░░░ s 7 million It ░░░░░░░░ a lot of money ░░░░░░░░ I lose 7 million ░░░░░░░░ can live with it ░░░░░░░░ can live it And ░░░░░░░░ we have to change ░░░░░░░░ words so they re ░░░░░░░░ being scraped and and ░░░░░░░░ we re not targeted ░░░░░░░░ allows us to do ░░░░░░░░ work Clip ends O ░░░░░░░░ And I was walking ░░░░░░░░ the president s office ░░░░░░░░ trying to make an ░░░░░░░░ and then the president ░░░░░░░░ walking out while I ░░░░░░░░ walking in about to ░░░░░░░░ I caught up with ░░░░░░░░ and he said This ░░░░░░░░ illegal I m going ░░░░░░░░ contact my attorney It ░░░░░░░░ not illegal to record ░░░░░░░░ s nothing illegal about ░░░░░░░░ Clip starts O KEEFE ░░░░░░░░ have it on video ░░░░░░░░ have it on video ░░░░░░░░ my iPad NICKLOW Why ░░░░░░░░ it illegally recorded Nobody ░░░░░░░░ me this O KEEFE ░░░░░░░░ don t think it ░░░░░░░░ illegal NICKLOW Ummm O ░░░░░░░░ There s a there ░░░░░░░░ a there s a ░░░░░░░░ Amendment issue here NICKLOW ░░░░░░░░ m going to have ░░░░░░░░ talk to my attorney ░░░░░░░░ KEEFE Your attorney NICKLOW ░░░░░░░░ yeah O KEEFE Is ░░░░░░░░ here NICKLOW Absolutely Clip ░░░░░░░░ O KEEFE On the ░░░░░░░░ of publishing this recording ░░░░░░░░ were sent a cease ░░░░░░░░ desist letter by this ░░░░░░░░ firm We ve called ░░░░░░░░ lawyer and are waiting ░░░░░░░░ hear back.”