The Idaho State Board of Education voted to approve a measure banning diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at all public universities in the state.
The resolution forbids universities from establishing DEI offices, basing student resource centers on DEI ideology or using “‘personal identity characteristics’ (race, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, or gender identity) over individual merit” in hiring and admission decisions.
“I believe our actions as a Board today are a strong signal to all Idaho students that our institutions are prepared to meet whatever needs they have when they walk through the door,” Dr. Linda Clark, board president said in a statement. “I am looking forward to seeing our universities implement these resolutions while we continue working on the issue as a Board.”
The resolution is meant to ensure “that all students may succeed regardless of personal identity characteristics,” according to its text. Universities are also barred from requiring employees and students to “declare gender identity or preferred pronouns in any form of communication.”
Universities were already forced to abandon race-based admissions decisions after the Supreme Court established their unconstitutionality in 2023, though this has not stopped attempts to skirt the ruling. Schools have instead created outreach campaigns explicitly targeting nonwhite students in an effort to racially gerrymander their student body.
Several DEI programs have been axed elsewhere, with Texas and Florida passing similar statewide bans. Other states, schools and companies are considering dismantling their programs, including the University of Michigan, who hosts the largest and most expensive program in the nation.
The Board also approved a resolution requiring higher education institutions to maintain “political neutrality” and protect students’ right to free speech and expression, “including controversial, unpopular, or offensive expression.”
“Institutions have a solemn responsibility not only to promote the freedom to debate and scrutinize all ideas in appropriate forums but also to protect that freedom when others attempt to restrict it,” the resolution stated.
Some schools became the subject of controversy over their handling of the violent and disruptive protests that gripped campuses across the nation since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Many schools had to cancel classes and graduation ceremonies due to the chaos, while the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) even allowed an encampment that prevented Jewish students from entering a part of campus.
The Board did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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