Texas lawmakers consider strengthening DEI-ban, applying it to classrooms
‘While DEI-related curriculum and course content does not explicitly violate the letter of the law, it indeed contradicts its spirit,’ said State Sen. Brandon Creighton.
‘The curriculum does not reflect the expectations of Texas taxpayers and students who fund our public universities,’ he continued.
Republicans in the Texas state legislature are considering enhancing the state’s ban on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in higher education, applying it to classroom curricula.
Texas Senate Bill 17, which went into effect on Jan. 1, bans the state’s colleges and universities from running DEI offices and other related initiatives such as mandatory DEI statements.
Senators in the Lone Star State’s legislature are now considering expanding that ban.
[RELATED: Weber State replaces DEI offices with center ‘open to all students’]
“While DEI-related curriculum and course content does not explicitly violate the letter of the law, it indeed contradicts its spirit,” Republican State Sen. Brandon Creighton, the chairman of the Senate Higher Education Subcommittee, said, according to News4SA. “The curriculum does not reflect the expectations of Texas taxpayers and students who fund our public universities. It also falls short of equipping graduates with practical knowledge and skills that employers seek, along with high-value degrees.”
Creighton’s comments came during a hearing at the Texas Senate, during which the presidents of Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin confirmed that the state’s anti-DEI legislation and the Supreme Court’s striking down of affirmative action did not significantly lower or raise enrollment of minorities in their schools.
The anti-DEI bill has had wide-ranging effects on higher education in Texas.
In April, the University of Texas at Austin removed roughly 60 positions at the school that were related to DEI. The decision was made shortly after Creighton reminded school administrators of Senate Bill 17 and its intended effects.
[RELATED: One-quarter of NSF grants fund DEI, new report claims]
On Jan. 25, the University of Texas at Austin’s student paper also announced that the university could not continue hosting segregated graduation ceremonies such as a “Latinx Graduation” due to the anti-DEI ban.
Several other states have banned DEI in public higher education institutions, such as Alabama, Utah, and Florida.
Campus Reform has reached out to Texas A&M University, the University of Texas at Austin, and State Sen. Creighton for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
