AUSTIN – The dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion programs at Texas universities has resulted in hundreds of employees being laid off and millions of dollars in program cuts, state university leaders said Tuesday in a statement to the state. told senators.
Sen. Brandon Clayton, a Republican from Conroe who led the effort to cut DEI programs in the 2023 legislative session, called university system presidents to the Capitol for a hearing to assess compliance with the law. .
The well-attended hearing also focused on recent pro-Palestinian protests, including demonstrations at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas at Dallas that resulted in more than 140 arrests.
Creighton accused activists of trying to hijack the discourse on college campuses.
“It's no wonder that a small group of students and faculty felt comfortable occupying campuses to spread this radical ideology, and then felt comfortable occupying campuses to spread their views. No,” Clayton said.
The Anti-DEI Act, passed by Congress in 2023, bans programs that provide resources for specific racial, ethnic, or gender identities, leading to the reclassification or closure of campus multicultural and LGBTQ centers. ing.
Chancellor James Milliken told the Senate Higher Education Subcommittee that across the UT System's 14 campuses, 311 full-time and part-time positions will be eliminated, 21 DEI offices will be closed, and 681 contracts will be canceled. said that it was done. The cuts saved $25 million, he said.
“Ensuring compliance has been a top priority for the UT System over the last year,” Milliken said.
Examining the extent of compliance was a key part of the day's testimony, as presidents of the state's public university systems each explained their implementation of the DEI ban.
Within the Texas A&M system, the DEI ban affected 114 jobs, many of them student workers and academics who spent only a portion of their time on DEI efforts, Chancellor John Sharp testified. Only eight employees at the College Station campus lost their jobs, he said.
While Republicans opposed DEI efforts as divisive, transgender woman Amanda McLaughlin said the program builds inclusive communities.
“Relocating the DEI office takes away a safe space, and often a lifeline, for students and sends a message that they don't belong,” McLaughlin testified. “They no longer have a place to find acceptance and support.”
Tuesday's hearing began with testimony about recent protests from Levi Fox, a University of Texas student who works with several Jewish organizations on campus. A University of Texas faculty member said Fox told a group of Jewish students who were observing a pro-Palestinian protest: “They're going to come after you and next they're going to put you in the oven.” He said he had heard threats from protesters, including.
“It's horrifying that people feel so brazen to call for the death of Jews and not only say it but be proud to say it,” Fox said.
Fox did not name the professor, but said he would share the name with subcommittee members.
Courtney Tollett of the Anti-Defamation League testified that much of the chant heard at the protests was anti-Semitic and called for the destruction of Israel.
In response to questions from the subcommittee, A&M University's president said he believes protests like the one at UT are anti-Semitic. The UT president said that while there may have been anti-Semitic elements, he did not believe all participants were anti-Semitic.
David Albert, a professor at Texas State University who is Jewish, says the term anti-Semitism is often used to demonize peaceful protesters who disagree with the way Israel is waging its war in Gaza. He said it was being misused.
“Anti-Semitism is simply hatred of Jews, not criticism of Israel,” Albert testified. “Criticism of the actions of the Israeli state is not anti-Semitism. Criticism of the Netanyahu government is not anti-Semitism. Criticism of the Israeli occupation or the Gaza operation is not anti-Semitism.”
