Texas State Representative Rep. Carl Tepper (R) has introduced new legislation that would effectively ban diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) from higher education institutions in the state.
The bill, Texas H.B. 1006, states “each institution of higher education has the general responsibility to foster a diversity of viewpoints” and to “maintain political, social and cultural neutrality,” referring to the leftist bias that offices of DEI bring to campuses.
The bill also states that higher education public institutions must adopt a policy that must “prohibit the funding, promotion, sponsorship, or support of any office of diversity, equity, and inclusion” and instructs institutions to allow student organizations and faculty to allow a diverse range of speakers on campus and “establish disciplinary sanctions for students, student organizations, or faculty who unduly interfere with the expressive activities of others on campus.”
The bill further provides protection from any students, student organizations, or faculty who “unduly interfere with the expressive activities of others on campus” and effectively bans any office or department from higher education institutions 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”
“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,” the bill reads.
The bill was recently praised by City Journal writer and education activist, Christopher Rufo who has actively worked to expose far-left radical Critical Race Theory curriculum in educational institutions across the country.
“D.E.I programs have become offices of racialist ideology, speech suppression, and political indoctrination—and deserve zero taxpayer support,” Rufo wrote on Twitter and announced that he is working on “making a series of announcements early next year about a national campaign to abolish D.E.I. offices and reform higher education from the ground up.”
BREAKING: Texas legislators have introduced a bill to abolish "diversity, equity, and inclusion" in the state university system. D.E.I programs have become offices of racialist ideology, speech suppression, and political indoctrination—and deserve zero taxpayer support. pic.twitter.com/vkd5531Uf4
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) December 16, 2022
“We are assembling a team of the brightest policy minds in the country and will be *laying siege the universities*,” Rufo announced on Twitter.
Over the past two years, I've worked hard to expose the ideological capture of American institutions and to rally the public against CRT and gender ideology. Now, I'm shifting into policy mode and will be leading campaigns to reform the institutions. It's time for action.
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) December 16, 2022
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