Mount St. Joseph University allegedly sends pro-DEI ‘Sample Testimonies’ for activists to use in advocacy
The sample testimonies were sent out after the Ohio Senate’s passage of a bill, SB 1, which cracks down on DEI in the state’s public higher education.
‘I am deeply concerned about Senate Bill 1 and its impact on my education and future career,’ reads one sample testimony.
Mount Saint Joseph University, a Catholic school in Ohio, has allegedly sent out “Sample Testimonies” for students and others to use to lobby on behalf of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
On Feb. 21, the X account Libs of TikTok wrote: “Mount St Joseph University in Ohio is reportedly sending example testimonies to students, instructing them to contact their senators and express how they should keep DEI initiatives in the classroom.”
The move comes in response to Ohio Senate Bill 1, recently passed in the Ohio Senate, which cracks down on DEI in the state’s public colleges and universities, prohibiting things such as DEI offices and DEI trainings.
Libs of TikTok provided a screenshot of the email, allegedly sent by the university, which was titled “Sample Testimonies.”
One of the entries in the email, titled “Concern from a Student,” read: “Chairman, members of the committee, my name is [Name], and I am a student at an Ohio university. I am deeply concerned about Senate Bill 1 and its impact on my education and future career.”
The email instructs students to condemn SB 1, saying that it hurts academic freedom and freedom of speech.
“As a student, I want to be challenged. I want to engage with difficult subjects and hear diverse perspectives. This bill also removes DEl initiatives, which have been instrumental in supporting students from different backgrounds, ensuring that we all have an equal opportunity to succeed,” the sample testimony reads.
Other universities have also expressed their support for DEI in the midst of a nationwide push against the ideology by both individual states and by President Donald Trump.
The president of the University of Minnesota System, for example, recently announced that the school is still dedicated to promoting DEI.
In an email to the campus community, President Rebecca Cunningham wrote: “As President, I am writing to address any confusion and reaffirm my—and the University’s—longstanding commitment to fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment that best supports the needs of each and every individual across our five campuses, regardless of their citizenship status. . . . To further clarify, we have not rolled back diversity, equity and inclusion at the University of Minnesota, and we are not making any preemptive changes to our existing programs.”
Campus Reform has contacted Mount Saint Joseph University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
