https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/02/university-texas-austin-firings-
dei-ban/

The University of Texas at Austin has laid off dozens employees who used
to work in diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

The university fired about 60 people and some of the offices where they
worked are expected to close by May 31, according to a joint letter from
the Texas Conference of the American Association of University Professors
and the Texas chapter of the NAACP. The firings were first reported by the
Austin American-Statesman, citing people familiar with the decision.

UT-Austin President Jay Hartzell said in an email Tuesday that the school
was also disbanding the Division of Campus and Community Engagement, which
provided support and resources for �those who may face the most
significant challenges in accessing� education, according to the
department�s website. The AAUP and NAACP said about 40 of the people who
were fired used to work in this department.

The changes aim to bring the university into fuller compliance with Senate
Bill 17, a state law approved last year that bans DEI initiatives in
public universities and went into effect in January.

�I recognize that strong feelings have surrounded SB 17 from the beginning
and will shape many Longhorns� perceptions of these measures,� Hartzell
said in the email. �It is also important that this continues to be a
welcoming, supportive community for all.�

Hartzell said student-facing services and jobs will be retained for the
remainder of the semester. As for the staff members who were fired, he
said employees can apply to other open positions at the university.

The AAUP and NAACP said they had �heightened concerns� about the layoffs
because many of the employees who were fired had been recently reassigned
to positions not related to DEI. The groups' letter said they will
�continue to accumulate information to address what we believe to be
potential attacks on First Amendment Freedoms.�

The layoffs come as Texas colleges face increasing pressure to prove their
compliance with SB 17. Last week, state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe,
said in a letter to university leaders that colleges could lose millions
in state funding if they fail to comply with the law. Last month, Gov.
Greg Abbott said more laws will be passed next legislative session to make
sure schools are enforcing the DEI ban.

The ban represents �a fundamental shift in the operations of our higher
education institutions� to ensure �a merit-based environment where every
student, faculty and staff member can strive for and achieve personal
excellence,� Creighton wrote in his letter.

The Senate Committee on Education is expected to hold a hearing in May on
how the state�s universities are complying with the ban. Ahead of the
hearing, Creighton asked university leaders to provide information about
how they were implementing it. One of the questions schools must answer
is: �How has your institution ensured that there are no DEI offices or
officers on campus, or no individual or organization performing the duties
of a DEI office or officer?�

Earlier this year, some UT-Austin students said the university�s steps
toward complying with the law already felt like an overcorrection. Since
the law went into effect, the university has closed down the school�s
beloved multicultural center and discontinued a scholarship program for
undocumented students.

Hundreds of students gathered Tuesday evening in three different locations
across campus to discuss the closure of the DCCE. At the start of one of
the meetings, organizers asked students if they were in an organization
that was affected by the decision.

Some attendees responded they were with Longhorn TIES, a group for
students who identify as neurodivergent, RGV Familia, composed of students
from the Rio Grande Valley, and Women in STEM.

�I am one of the staff who was fired,� said one attendee who used to run a
study abroad program for low-income students. �Although we�ve been fired,
there�s still people on this campus who care about you, despite
everything.�

The organizers went over ways students can stay informed and involved.
They said plans in response to the university�s decision Tuesday would
continue being ironed out.

�There are holes in all of our plans because we literally came up with
this three or four hours ago,� an organizer said. �But let�s just do it.
Full send.�

--
We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that
stupid people won't be offended.

Durham Report: The FBI has an integrity problem. It has none.

No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.
Officially made Nancy Pelosi a two-time impeachment loser.

Thank you for cleaning up the disaster of the 2008-2017 Obama / Biden
fiasco, President Trump.

Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.

President Trump boosted the economy, reduced illegal invasions, appointed
dozens of judges and three SCOTUS justices.

On Sat, 13 Apr 2024 17:44:01 -0000 (UTC)
"Leroy N. Soetoro" <democrat-criminals@mail.house.gov> wrote:

> https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/02/university-texas-austin-firings-
> dei-ban/
>
> The University of Texas at Austin has laid off dozens employees who
> used to work in diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
>
> The university fired about 60 people and some of the offices where
> they worked are expected to close by May 31, according to a joint
> letter from the Texas Conference of the American Association of
> University Professors and the Texas chapter of the NAACP. The firings
> were first reported by the Austin American-Statesman, citing people
> familiar with the decision.
>
Yay!