Oklahoma governor calls out OU for teaching DEI despite state ban
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has called out his state's flagship university for seemingly mandating a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) course in defiance of state law.
On Monday, Stitt took to X to raise his concerns over leftist ideology being taught in college curriculums.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has called out his state’s flagship university for seemingly mandating a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) course in defiance of state law.
On Monday, Stitt took to X to raise his concerns over leftist ideology being taught in college curriculums.
Universities are more focused on pronouns than they are prepping for the workforce. And left-wing accreditation monopolies that peddle DEI curriculum hide out of sight and let liberal faculty call the shots.
It’s time to clean this up. https://t.co/CPkeyiyOg6— Governor Kevin Stitt (@GovStitt) November 18, 2024
”Universities are more focused on pronouns than they are prepping for the workforce,” the governor wrote. “And left-wing accreditation monopolies that peddle DEI curriculum hide out of sight and let liberal faculty call the shots.”
”It’s time to clean this up,” he added.
Stitt’s also featured a Heritage Action post that included an exclusive Daily Caller article detailing a mandatory University of Oklahoma’s DEI course for education majors.
Stitt signed an executive order in December that prohibits various forms of mandatory DEI programming and initiatives at public colleges.
As noted by The Daily Caller, the University of Oklahoma’s College of Education curriculum requires undergraduates to enroll in a course that features themes such as “Critical whiteness in Education,” “Critical Race Theory in Education,” and “Microaggressions in Educational Spaces.”
A spokesperson from Stitt’s office told The Daily Caller that, “Our universities need to be preparing students for the workforce, not indoctrinating them with liberal ideology.”
“It’s insane that this is a required course,” the spokesperson added. “It’s time to look at the accreditation entities that are pushing courses like this and bring common sense back to the classroom.”
In August, Campus Reform reported how state schools like the University of Oklahoma appeared to be working around the governor’s order.
The medical advocacy group, Do No Harm, noted at the time that the university appeared to retain DEI offices and personnel through rebranding, rather than eliminating such programming in accordance with the executive order.
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On Dec. 13, university President Joseph Harroz Jr. sent a message to the school community in which he distanced the insitution from the governor’s anti-DEI executive order.
”For many of us, this news evokes deep concern and uncertainty about the future, and in many ways feels like a step backward,” Harroz wrote. “Please be assured that key to our ongoing successes as the state’s flagship university – now and forever – are the foundational values that have served as our constant north star: access and opportunity for all of those with the talent and tenacity to succeed; being a place of belonging for all who attend; dedication to free speech and inquiry; and civility in our treatment of each other.”
”Make no mistake: At OU, we stand firm in our promise to uphold the core principles that make our university a beacon where the American Dream is available to all,” Harroz continued.