Conservative think tank says universities are skirting legal limitations on DEI programs
The Goldwater Institute says that many schools who apparently closed their DEI programs have simply renamed them, leaving day-to-day operations essentially unchanged.
One policy researcher suggested that ‘university administrators don’t want to have to root out the ideologues in their faculty, because they want a quiet life.'
In recent months, Republican lawmakers across the nation have successfully passed state legislation banning DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) offices and programs at public universities. Now, conservative organizations are questioning whether schools have actually complied with these directives.
New analysis from the Goldwater Institute indicates that many schools who apparently closed or replaced their DEI programs during the past academic year have simply renamed them, leaving day-to-day operations essentially unchanged.
Matt Beienburg, director of education at the Institute, told the Daily Caller that the provisions outlined in the legislation which bans DEI programs are very objective, leaving little room for schools to defend their programs’ continued existence on legal grounds.
“It’s very clear what is and is not allowed,” Beienburg said. “It doesn’t just say, you know, as long as you don’t call it DEI, you can go do it. It’s actually getting to the substance. You know, you can’t have offices and personnel whose function is literally to promote race-based programming and policies. Doesn’t matter what you call it. You can’t do it.”
Douglas Carswell, president and CEO of Mississippi Center for Public Policy, expressed frustration with university administrators who allow DEI programs to continue, suggesting that they fear the personal consequences associated with criticizing such initiatives.
“They [colleges and universities] let the leftist ideologues in the sociology department and the liberal arts departments promote this nonsense and teach this nonsense to young Americans in return for a quiet life,” Carswell told the Daily Caller. “It’s a vested interest on campus now to perpetuate DEI even if they change the name because people get big salaries, fat salaries from it, and the university administrators don’t want to have to root out the ideologues in their faculty, because they want a quiet life.”
Campus Reform has reported previously on efforts in Oklahoma to preserve DEI initiatives following legislative bans on formalized DEI programming.
“This is a tactic that has been seen in other institutions: rename and rebrand the office to something that doesn’t mention DEI, but maintains the same leadership and initiatives,” said Laura Morgan, senior director of programs at Do No Harm. “Staff members may be distributed to other departments where the work of engaging in identity politics continues, but on the surface level the university appears to comply with the law.”
Campus Reform has reached out to the Goldwater Institute and the Mississippi Center for Public Policy for comment. This story will be updated accordingly.