The University of Alabama is the latest university to close its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) office, joining public universities in Texas and Florida that are eliminating programs that foster discrimination based on race and gender.
The public university said it closed DEI offices on its Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and Huntsville campuses on Tuesday in compliance with a recently passed Alabama law prohibiting public institutions from promoting “divisive concepts.” report By New York Post.
In March, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey (R) signed Senate Bill 129 (SB129) into law, which is set to take effect on October 1. The new law prohibits certain government agencies and public schools from launching DEI programs or operating DEI offices.
Under SB 129, these government agencies and public institutions are prohibited from promoting, supporting, and affirming “divisive notions,” including the notion that “any race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin is inherently superior or inferior” or that “the moral character of an individual is determined by that person’s race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin.”
The law also prohibits spreading the notion that “individuals should be discriminated against or treated less favorably because of their race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin” or that “individuals are inherently, unconsciously or consciously, racist, sexist, or oppressive on the basis of their race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin.”
The law also gives state agencies, local boards of education, and public schools the power to “discipline” employees who violate the law, as well as the power to “terminate the employment” of such employees.
Alabama is not the only state to have passed legislation addressing DEI initiatives in public schools.
Last year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) signed Senate Bill 266, which prevents higher education institutions in the state from using state or federal funds to pursue DEI initiatives.
Earlier this year, the University of Florida laid off all of its DEI-related employees, and in addition, the Chief Financial Officer’s Office reallocated approximately $5 million in funds previously used for DEI-related expenses.
A similar ban on DEI initiatives went into effect in Texas in April, leading to more than 100 job cuts at University of Texas campuses across the state.
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