Ron DeSantis’ ban of school diversity programs is coming to these states next A Republican governor in the South is peeling back diversity programs in public schools and limiting how gender and race can be discussed in classrooms — and he’s not from Florida.
While Florida governor Ron DeSantis made headlines on Monday for signing a law that bars colleges from using state or federal funding on most diversity, equity and inclusion programs, conservatives are pursuing similar tactics in other GOP-led states.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in Texas are shepherding legislation through Austin requiring public universities to shutter their DEI offices and ban diversity training and hiring statements but, unlike Florida, avoids interfering with course instruction. In Tennessee and North Dakota, Republican-controlled legislatures have passed new restrictions on DEI training or are pressing to pass them before their legislative sessions end.
After signing a suite of curriculum rules last year, Florida has the most sweeping set of restrictions on classroom discussions about race and gender in the nation. But the work in the Sunshine State has inspired dozens of copycats this year among conservatives who say diversity programs are working to “indoctrinate” young people and being used as a “club to silence” critics.
“DEI programs advocate for racial preferences that are highly unpopular with the American public,” said Jonathan Butcher, a Heritage Foundation education fellow.
“A lot of this stuff is connected by certain ideas based around racial discrimination,” he added.
GOP lawmakers want to dismantle DEI on campus in at least three different ways: striking down diversity statements used for hiring or promotions, ending required social curriculum and eliminating offices in charge of facilitating diversity efforts. Several have said diversity programs breed division..............
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/17/diversity-initiatives-states-are-next-00097268
