The University of Alabama is the latest school to close its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices, joining public colleges in Texas and Florida in doing away with the programs that encourage discrimination based on race and sex.
The publicly funded university closed its DEI offices at its Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Huntsville campuses on Tuesday in order to comply with a recently passed Alabama law prohibits public institutions from promoting “divisive concepts,” according to a report by the New York Post.
In March, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) signed Senate Bill 129 (SB129) into the law. It is set to take effect on October 1. The new law forbids certain government entities and public schools from establishing DEI programs or operating DEI offices.
Under SB129, these government agencies and public institutions are prohibited from promoting, endorsing, and affirming “divisive concepts,” which include the notion “that any race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity or national origin is inherently superior or inferior,” and the idea “that the moral character of an individual is determined by his or her race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity or national origin.”
The law also prohibits them from spreading the notion “that individuals should be discriminated against or treated adversely because of their race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity or national origin,” and the concept “that any individual is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive — subconsciously or consciously — based on their race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity or national origin.”
It also gives state agencies, local boards of education, and public schools the ability to “discipline” any employee who violates the law, as well as “terminate the employment” of said employees.
Alabama is not the only state to pass laws tackling DEI initiatives in public schools.
Last year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed Senate Bill 266, which specified that institutions of higher education in the state cannot use state or federal funds to promote DEI initiatives.
Earlier this year, University of Florida fired all of its employees related to DEI. Moreover, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer reallocated the approximately $5 million in funds that were previously used for DEI-related expenses.
In April, a similar ban on DEI initiatives in Texas resulted in more than 100 job cuts at University of Texas campuses across the state.
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