The University of Kentucky is the latest school to close its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices, joining public colleges in Texas, Florida, and Alabama in eliminating programs that encourage discrimination based on race and sex.
The university has decided to close its DEI office after the state legislature questioned whether the identity-focused programs have hindered discourse on campus, University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto said on Tuesday.
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“We have been discussing those questions in the context of the concerns that state lawmakers are raising around DEI,” Capilouto explained. “States and universities all around us have been having these same discussions.”
“Many of the questions raised in these conversations, in fact, mirror the concerns that lawmakers are raising: How do we create space for divergent points of view? Or do we too often place ourselves in an ideological bubble that shuts out other perspectives?” the university president continued.
“In creating the perception that we have centralized so much work around inclusion in one office, do we undermine the idea that creating a sense of belonging is a responsibility we all share, everywhere, on this campus?” Capilouto added.
The University of Kentucky will now eliminate mandatory DEI training throughout the school, and no employees will be required to write a diversity statement in order to be employed, Capilouto said in a Tuesday email obtained by the Lexington Herald-Leader.
In place of the DEI office, the school will instead reportedly establish an Office for Community Relations.
The University of Kentucky is not the only school to close its DEI offices in response to the state legislature trying to or passing laws tackling DEI initiatives in public schools.
Last month, the University of Alabama announced it would be closing its DEI offices at its Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Huntsville campuses to comply with recently passed legislation that prohibits public institutions from promoting “divisive concepts.”
Earlier this year, the University of Florida fired all of its employees related to DEI and was able to reallocate $5 million in funds that were previously used for DEI-related expenses for other initiatives. This came after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a Senate bill specifying that institutions of higher education in the state cannot use state or federal funds to promote DEI initiatives.
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.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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