Ron DeSantis caught two textbook giants in one scheme that left them exposed and humiliated

Corporate greed has been running wild in America’s schools for years.

Two major publishers thought they could rip off Florida taxpayers without anyone noticing.

And Ron DeSantis caught two textbook giants in one scheme that left them exposed and humiliated.

DeSantis nails textbook publishers for ripping off Florida schools

Ron DeSantis wasn’t messing around when he got wind of what these textbook companies were pulling.

The Governor and Attorney General James Uthmeier dropped the hammer on McGraw Hill and Savvas Learning – turns out they’ve been systematically ripping off Florida school districts for millions.

This wasn’t some accident or oversight – it was deliberate fraud.

Thanks to a whistleblower complaint, DeSantis discovered these publishers were violating Florida law in the most brazen way possible.

The Sunshine State has clear rules: textbook publishers must give every school district the lowest prices available anywhere in the country.

But McGraw Hill and Savvas decided those rules didn’t apply to them.

They charged certain districts more than others and pocketed the difference.

The complaint reveals at least 5,900 instances of overcharging by these two companies alone.

In Osceola County, one example of their price gouging exceeded $279,000.

Another case involved Miami-Dade County getting a discount on textbooks while nine other districts paid higher prices – costing taxpayers more than $250,000 in additional fees.

“Our lawsuit exposes a textbook case of corporate greed – companies charging Florida schools more than the law allows, pocketing the difference, and sticking taxpayers with the bill,” Uthmeier stated.¹

https://twitter.com/AGJamesUthmeier/status/1957838405640859926

 

DeSantis made it clear this kind of corporate theft won’t be tolerated in Florida.

“That was not being done by these two textbook companies,” DeSantis explained during the press conference. “Those resources should be going to the school districts, the teachers, and doing ways that are going to be productive, not to pad the profits of textbook companies who are not following the letter of the law.”²

The civil penalties could reach anywhere from $37.5 million to $60.5 million between the two publishers.

https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1957853317612335531

 

These companies were double-dipping – gouging schools AND pushing woke garbage

The price gouging is bad enough on its own.

DeSantis also called out these same publishers for cramming woke ideology into their textbooks.

Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas revealed that McGraw Hill and Savvas have been including critical race theory, intersectionality, and White privilege concepts in math, science, and social studies materials.

“If publishers choose to add that content in their textbooks, they will not be approved, and they will not be sold in Florida schools,” Kamoutsas declared.³

https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1957869163365417121

 

Think about the audacity here – these companies are overcharging Florida schools by millions while simultaneously trying to indoctrinate students with radical leftist propaganda.

“To see some of the stuff they are trying to pull, it’s not going to fly here,” DeSantis said.⁴

The publishers are scrambling to defend themselves, but their excuses ring hollow.

McGraw Hill spokesman Tyler Reed claimed the company believes the Attorney General’s allegations “lack factual and legal merit on multiple grounds.”⁵

Savvas Learning insisted they have “policies and procedures in place to comply with applicable statutes.”⁶

But the evidence speaks for itself – 5,900 documented instances of overcharging don’t happen by accident.

Why this lawsuit is pure genius

Look at what DeSantis pulled off here – he used these publishers’ own greed to build the perfect trap.

Florida documented every single instance where these companies gouged taxpayers, creating an airtight case that could force them to cough up tens of millions.

It’s not just about getting the money back – though that’s important.

DeSantis is sending a message that if you want to do business in Florida, you follow the rules or you pay the price.

The brilliance is in the timing and strategy. While these publishers were busy cramming woke nonsense into textbooks, they got sloppy with their pricing schemes.

These textbook companies aren’t just businesses trying to make a profit – they’re part of a coordinated effort to both drain resources from schools AND poison young minds with woke ideology.

https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1957811527635070995

 

The timing couldn’t be more perfect either.

While other states are hemorrhaging money to these same publishers, Florida is showing exactly how to fight back.

DeSantis built the legal framework, gathered the evidence, and now he’s making these companies pay – literally.

Education Commissioner Kamoutsas pointed out that this case highlights exactly why Florida is developing its own English-Language Arts curriculum.

“Every taxpayer dollar matters and we will not allow publishers to exploit these taxpayer dollars,” he stated.⁷

Smart move – why keep enriching companies that are actively working against your state’s values?

If Florida wins this lawsuit, it won’t just be about recovering millions for school districts.

It’ll send a message to every textbook publisher in America that the days of ripping off taxpayers while pushing radical ideology are over.

At least in states with leaders who actually fight for their people.

¹ James Uthmeier, Press Release, Florida Attorney General’s Office, August 19, 2025.

² Ron DeSantis, Press Conference, St. Cloud, Florida, August 19, 2025.

³ Anastasios Kamoutsas, Press Conference, St. Cloud, Florida, August 19, 2025.

⁴ Ibid.

⁵ Tyler Reed, Statement to USA Today Network, August 19, 2025.

⁶ Savvas Learning Company, Statement, August 19, 2025.

⁷ Anastasios Kamoutsas, Press Conference, St. Cloud, Florida, August 19, 2025.