To comply with Governor Greg Abbott’s new legislation that bans DEI offices, assignment of DEI duties to employees, DEI training and DEI statements in hiring, the University of Texas at Austin has fired dozens of staff with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) portfolios.
From The Daily Caller:
After the bill’s sponsor, Republican state Sen. Brandon Creighton of Conroe, wrote letters to the chancellor of the University of Texas System and other institutions to demand compliance with the law, UT Austin President Jay Hartzell announced on Tuesday that some positions in support of DEI initiatives would “no longer be supported,” according to a statement.
“The positions that provided support for those associate and assistant deans [focused on DEI] and a small number of staff roles across campus that were formerly focused on DEI will no longer be funded,” Hartzell wrote in the statement. The “associate and assistant deans” who led DEI initiatives were drawn from existing full-time faculty and, thus, they will not be laid off by UT Austin, Hartzell noted.
“Funding used to support DEI across campus prior to SB 17’s effective date will be redeployed to support teaching and research.”
UT-Austin President Jay Hartzell announces further changes in response to the Texas law banning DEI.
-The Division of Campus and Community Engagement… pic.twitter.com/xdHbD2UZ0d
— Steve McGuire (@sfmcguire79) April 2, 2024
The exact number of positions eliminated is unclear. A joint statement from the NAACP and Association of American University Professors noted that “approximately 60 persons received these pink slips.”
More over at The Daily Caller:
University Of Texas Lays Off Dozens Of Diversity, Equity And Inclusion Staff To Comply With Red State Crackdown https://t.co/jA1vPP2KEG #Trump2024 #NahBabyNah
— NahBabyNah (@NahBabyNah) April 3, 2024