In 2023, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sought to remake New College, a small liberal arts school in Sarasota.
Those efforts, and their effects on students and faculty, are documented in the new film “First They Came for My College.”
The film was shown at the Independent Film Festival Boston.
Host Anthony Brooks speaks with the film’s director, Patrick Bresnan, and Amy Reid, the former New College professor and director of the gender studies program, who appears in the film.
Editor’s note: Here & Now received the following statement from James Miller, vice president of communications and marketing at New College of Florida, regarding the documentary:
“New College of Florida is aware of a recently released sensationalized documentary that attempts to highlight a number of inflammatory claims about the college that are void of all facts and evidence to back up the filmmaker’s opinion.
“Prior to the current administration, New College faced serious institutional challenges, including declining enrollment, a deteriorating and increasingly unlivable campus environment, and unprecedented instability. In many cases, these issues stemmed from the ideological environment that had taken hold at the institution.”
Editor’s note: A previous version of the audio for this segment incorrectly identified the name of the film festival. It is the Independent Film Festival Boston. We have corrected and regret the error.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
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