Six States Implemented Bans on DEI Initiatives at Public Colleges in 2024
In 2024, six states—Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, and Utah—passed laws banning or significantly restricting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in public colleges and universities. These measures reflect a growing national trend to limit DEI practices in hiring, admissions, and curriculum, according to a Fox News report.
In Utah, Governor Spencer Cox signed legislation in January prohibiting public institutions from engaging in “discriminatory practices. The legislation specifically prohibits teachings “that an individual, by virtue of the individual’s personal identity characteristics, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other individuals with the same personal identity characteristics.” Additionally, the law prohibits mandatory DEI training and eliminates DEI-related programs at public colleges.
Alabama enacted similar restrictions in March when Governor Kay Ivey signed a law banning DEI offices at public universities and outlawing the promotion of “divisive concepts.” The bill cited teachings “that any individual should accept, acknowledge, affirm, or assent to a sense of guilt, complicity, or a need to apologize on the basis of his or her race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin” and “that meritocracy or traits such as a hard work ethic are racist or sexist.” The law also requires public universities to enforce bathroom use according to individuals’ biological sex rather than their gender identity.
In Kansas, even with liberal Governor Laura Kelly in office, the state legislature passed a law prohibiting public colleges from engaging in DEI-related activities. The legislation includes a $10,000 fine for any institution found using DEI principles in hiring faculty or enrolling students.
The remaining states—Indiana, Iowa, and Idaho—implemented similar measures targeting DEI programs in higher education. These new laws align with policies enacted in previous years by other states, including Florida, Texas, and Tennessee.
The pushback against DEI comes as critics have continued to argue that such initiatives often promote discriminatory practices despite claiming to combat them. Americans have continued to reject DEI teachings and identity-based quotas, believing that meri-based systems are more ethical and effective.
