State Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), chair of the Senate Committee of Education, filed on bill on March 10 that would effectively ban offices of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) from Texas public universities.
"While every member of a university committee must be treated with equal dignity, so-called DEI offices are in fact the leading threat to true diversity and genuine inclusivity on university campuses," Creighton said it in a statement, which was tweeted on March 10. "Whether a student is from Conroe, Austin or Loredo, a first-generation college student or triple legacy, every individual should be welcome and promoted based on qualifications. The elevation of DEI offices on campuses have only furthered divides and created a chilling effect on open dialogue. This legislation will ensure Texas college campuses are environments that are open to differing ideas, foster meaningful, reasoned dialogue and encourage intellectual discourse."
According to the Austin American-Statesman, Creighton's bill would prevent public colleges from maintaining DEI offices or requiring DEI statements in admissions or hiring.
The bill prohibits public colleges from having a DEI office or hiring employees or outside contractors to perform the duties of a DEI office. The bill would block any public office that promotes efforts "designed or implemented in reference to race, color or ethnicity" and bans training or activities "designed or implemented in reference to race, color, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation," except those required under state or federal law. The bill would also bar universities from asking current students, employees, contractors, job applicants and students applying for admission for DEI statements or to endorse DEI ideologies, according to Senate Bill 17.
If Creighton's bill passes, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board would create a list of employees who violate portions of the bill, which would be shared with every Texas public college. The bill would also penalize universities that violate its provisions, including fines of either $1 million or 1% of the school's operating expenses. Employees would be placed on unpaid leave for their first violation and fired for their second.
According to Fox 26 Houston, public universities -- including Texas A&M, Texas State, the University of Texas systems and Texas Tech -- have announced that they would review DEI policies after a directive from Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX). On March 2, Texas A&M announced it would also remove its DEI statements from hiring and admission practices.
The Austin American-Statesman reported that the University of Texas System had temporarily halted its implementation of its DEI policies on all campuses. The decision came after concerns were raised by legislators and members of the public that the policies limited free speech and "imposed certain ideologies on students."
The university system's board of regents has asked for a report on its DEI policies to give the board “a chance to review the various policies system-wide,” Chairman and former Texas Senator Kevin Eltife told the Austin American-Statesman. The policies were designed to promote equity and inclusion on campus by including initiatives such as diversity and implicit bias training for faculty and staff, as well as a commitment to hiring a more diverse workforce. However, critics argue that the policies could be used to suppress free speech and promote certain ideologies, thereby limiting free speech.