Lawmakers accuse Kansas State of rebranding DEI despite state ban

Kansas Republican lawmakers are upset with Kansas State University for allegedly continuing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices despite a new state law restricting them. 

Kansas Senate Majority Leader Chase Blasi says that state Republicans have received several complaints from parents that Kansas State has engaged in an effort to rebrand DEI rather than eliminate it.

Kansas’ most recent budget prohibits state schools from funding DEI offices and practices. In response to the law, Kansas State eliminated its Spectrum Center for LGBT-identifying students in August and removed the word “diversity” from its mission statement in September. 

[RELATED: Williams College agrees to remove DEI language to comply with federal funding rules]

The university also renamed its DEI office to the Office of Access and Opportunity.

Yet according to Sen. Blasi, the university’s changes have been in name only and have not resulted in substantial shifts in school policy.

“Earlier this year, the Legislature passed a new law that prohibited DEI practices on our college campuses, and what is happening is some of the universities are rebranding these programs to do the same things that the Legislature has explicitly prohibited,” Blasi said, according to KSN News.

“They’re upset by some of the programming that’s happening there,” the senator said later. 

Conservatives have criticized colleges and universities for rebranding DEI in response to state and federal bans, rather than fully complying with the law.

The conservative organization Young America’s Foundation (YAF) filed a civil rights complaint against Kansas State with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights in August, asserting that the school has failed to remove DEI practices. 

[RELATED: University of Washington scraps job posting after DEI loyalty pledge exposed]

Specifically, the complaint states that the university has maintained DEI practices while removing the offices that organized those programs. According to the organization, the university still funds trainings on “microaggressions,” “intersectionality,” and teaches a concept known as the “Social Identity Wheel.”

Campus Reform reviewed the university’s website on Nov. 8 and found no significant changes since YAF’s complaint in August. 

The Office of Access and Opportunity continues to provide resources on “Reducing Classroom Microaggressions” and “Social Justice in Course Design.” The website also links to a YouTube video titled “Allyship and Antiracism.”

The university’s apparent disregard for the state’s DEI law mirrors other schools across the country. 

Campus Reform previously reported how the National Association of Scholars published a report in October detailing the continued presence of DEI efforts at schools like Caltech, Georgia Tech, and MIT.

Campus Reform has reached out to Kansas State University of comment. This article will be updated accordingly.