Turning Point USA

The University of Texas Dallas (UTD) laid off about 20 employees from its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) office in compliance with the state’s law banning such offices at public universities.

UTD’s president Richard Benson announced the job cuts from its Office of Campus Resources and Support in an email sent to students and faculty on Tuesday. The layoffs will be effective on April 30.

In the email to the university’s community, Benson noted that the Accessibility Resource Center will remain available to students seeking disability and accessibility services. Similar services will soon be provided to faculty by the human resources department at the school in place of the DEI office.

“I know that this decision will not be welcomed by many in our campus community,” Benson said in the email. “I remain committed to ensuring that UT Dallas is a supportive community focused on developing the knowledge, the research and the people that are vital to our future.”

“We have continued to evaluate our SB 17 response and how to realign many of the programs impacted by the legislation,” the university president added. “A limited number of functions will be moved to other administrative units to ensure continuity of services to our students, faculty and staff.”

The state law, Senate Bill 17, bans public universities from forming DEI offices that allow race or identity to influence hiring or college acceptance decisions, or promote “differential treatment of or providing special benefits to individuals on the basis of race, color, or ethnicity.” Additionally, the law prohibits mandatory DEI statements, DEI staff training, and “programs and activities based on race, color, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation, unless approved by the institution’s general counsel and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board,” according to Dallas News.

Alongside UTD, the University of Texas at Austin laid off about 60 employees who worked in the school’s DEI offices approximately a week ago.