Jacksonville State becomes first Alabama college to shut down DEI office in response to new state law
On May 22, Jacksonville State University announced plans to shut down its Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, becoming the first Alabama college to do so.
These changes do not alter or undermine JSU’s 'commitment to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for all members of the Jax State community.'
In recent months, Alabama lawmakers have cracked down on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives on college campuses, and those efforts are now starting to take effect.
On May 22, Jacksonville State University announced plans to shut down its Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, becoming the first Alabama college to do so.
“This decision was not made lightly but is necessary to ensure compliance with the new legal framework imposed by Act 2024-34,” JSU president Don Killingsworth Jr. reportedly said in a recent statement to members of the university community. The school officially closed its DEI offices on May 31.
[RELATED: Alabama governor signs anti-DEI bill into law]
The web page to the DEI office has been taken down from the university website.
The move comes in response to SB 129, a bill that “prohibit[s] certain public entities from maintaining diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and from sponsoring diversity, equity, and inclusion programs” and “require[s] public institutions of higher education to designate restrooms on the basis of biological sex,” among other parallel reforms. The bill was enacted by the state senate on March 19 and will take effect on Oct. 1.
Killingsworth said that after shutting down its DEI office, the university has found jobs for its former DEI staffers elsewhere on campus.
“All current employees within the Office of Diversity and Inclusion have been offered and have accepted positions in other areas across campus,” he said. “The decision to close the office ahead of the Oct. 1 deadline, as mandated by the state, is to ensure these employees have sufficient time to transition to their new roles before the flurry of the fall semester begins.”
According to Killingsworth, these changes do not alter or undermine JSU’s “commitment to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for all members of the Jax State community.”
Other Alabama universities have begun considering carve-outs in SB 129 that could be used to maintain existing DEI initiatives, including at the University of Alabama.
“It is important to note that SB 129 defines divisive concepts and DEI programs in specific terms, and it offers several exceptions for accreditation requirements, academic freedom, medical and mental health care, research, recruiting and outreach, and a host of other areas,” the UA presidents wrote in a statement during March. “Please look to official university communications for guidance as we continue to assess the legislation.”
Campus Reform has reached out to Don Killingsworth Jr. and JSU media relations for comment. This story will be updated accordingly.