University of Florida faculty felt pressure to delete COVID-19 data that conflicted with the state's stance: 'There was more silencing and pressure coming from above. The Big Above.'

• COVID-19 researchers at the University of Florida felt pressure to delete data, a new report found.
• A Faculty Senate committee said employees were told not to disagree with the governor.

Faculty at the University of Florida felt pressure to destroy COVID-19 data while working with an unidentified state entity, according to a report released Monday by a Faculty Senate committee.

Danaya Wright, a constitutional law professor and former Faculty Senate chairperson who served on the committee told the Tampa Bay Times the finding was part of an investigation into academic freedom issues at the university.

Wright told the Times that beyond efforts to pressure researchers to destroy COVID-19 data, faculty told the committee that there was a pervasive fear about upsetting state officials and recounted instances of trying to serve as expert witnesses in lawsuits on issues ranging from race to COVID-19.

The investigation started after three professors at the university were banned from testifying in a lawsuit against the state, the Times reported.

The political science professors – Daniel A. Smith, Michael McDonald, and Sharon Wright Austin — were testifying in a lawsuit that's seeking to overturn the state's new restrictive voting law.

University officials told the professors that since the school was publically funded, testifying against the state is "adverse to UF's interests."

The report said that the allegations staff made were kept confidential due to fear of retaliation.

"We knew it was much more widespread," Wright told the outlet. "We knew there was more silencing and pressure coming from above. The Big Above."

The report said that employees at the university were also told "not to criticize the Governor of Florida or UF policies related to COVID-19 in media interactions."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has repeatedly downplayed the severity of COVID-19 and the pandemic in the state and has enacted measures against vaccine and mask mandates.

The report said that researchers faced obstacles in being able to access or analyze COVID-19 data which prevented the faculty from being able to "contribute scientific findings" during the pandemic.

The University of Florida and DeSantis did not respond to Insider's request for comment.