Thread by @kateweaverUT

Just dropped: TX Legislative Bill to prohibit DEI in higher education, to take effect Sept. 2023. @chronicle @steve_vladeck capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/bi…. Here's the new language:

The Bill will "(2)prohibit the funding, promotion, sponsorship, or support of any office of diversity, equity, and inclusion; and any office that funds, promotes, sponsors, or supports an initiative or formulation of diversity, equity, and inclusion....

...beyond what is necessary to uphold the equal
protection of the laws under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution; and (3) and [prohibit] the endorsement or dissuasion of, or interference with, any lifestyle, race, sex, religion, or culture."

"A person may bring an action for injunctive relief
against an institution of higher education to compel the
institution to comply with this section. If the person prevails in the action, the court shall award reasonable attorney ’s fees and court costs to the person....

"...The institution shall pay the fees and
costs from the budget of the office of the chief executive officer of the institution or the institution ’s system, as applicable."

Hints of tactics used in recent abortion restrictions, allowing for private citizens to make spurious claims at the expense of universities.

A clear and unambiguous attack on freedom of expression by conservatives (several exist amongst our faculty - it's clear who is complicit here) who claim DEI principles somehow violate THEIR speech.

This is a dangerous precedent that paves the way for future court cases that will boil down to the right to hate speech and a direct attack by the state on academic freedoms.

Our UT administration just had their semester break upended once again by the overreach of the Texas governor's office, AG, and TX Legislature. I have faith UT will put up a good fight, but I'm afraid this one will be bloody.