HOUSTON — Texas university jobs are on the cutting block as Senate Bill 17 is being enforced.
The bill bans Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives at publicly funded universities. More than 100 jobs have been dissolved across the state as a result, according to a report by the Associated Press.
At Texas Southern University's Thurgood Marshall School of Law, the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion are woven into its fabric.
"We are lucky that we do not have a certain group or certain offices, positions that we have to eliminate. Our whole mission is diversity equity inclusion. You cannot eliminate a mission," said TSU Law Review editor Lauren Gonzales.
Gonzales says HBCUs stand to gain ground as the state moves forward with the implementation of SB 17. The bill banning DEI initiatives went into effect on January 1. Government leaders and students met in the law school recently for a panel discussion.
"It’s mind-boggling to me that folks want to go backward, they want to stay in the darkness. They want to stay in a time where people who look like us were not given the opportunity," said State Rep. Armando Walle of House District 140 in Harris County.
Supporters of SB 17 are taking aggressive measures to ensure it's being followed, sending letters about the mandate to schools like the University of Texas at Austin. According to a report by the Austin American-Statesman, dozens of people in DEI roles there are being laid off.
In a statement to KHOU 11, SB 17 author Senator Brandon Creighton said it's the strongest DEI ban in the nation.
"DEI has produced less diversity, divided students, and mandated political loyalty oaths before anyone gets an interview," Creighton said. "It’s been a failed experiment that threatens free speech and is a drag on research and innovation at many of our best colleges and universities."
Opponents say the firing or letting go of staff will not create an inviting and inclusive environment in places of higher education.
"This is the time now more than ever that we have to double down on supporting our HBCU and alone actually giving back if you can. Because when you look at things like DEI, this is literally the reason our HBCUs were necessary," said State Rep. Rhetta Bowers of House District 113 in Dallas.
Read Creighton's full statement to KHOU 11 below:
"The Texas Senate Committee on Education fully expects our public colleges and universities to comply with state law. Not only to be responsible with state tax dollars, but to also make sure that all individuals are valued equally. The recent actions by the University of Texas demonstrate that they are taking steps to ensure compliance with SB 17—the strongest ban on DEI in the nation. While any decision to release staff members is a difficult one, the efficiencies gained, and reinvestment into recruiting a diverse blend students and professors, based upon merit, are of the highest priority. DEI has produced less diversity, divided students, and mandated political loyalty oaths before anyone gets an interview. It’s been a failed experiment that threatens free speech and is a drag on research and innovation at many of our best colleges and universities. Now that we are in a new era, Texas taxpayer funded higher education can return to a merit-based framework that will better serve their students and faculty."