Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s administration warned universities that using Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) standards to hire prospective employees is a violation of civil rights law, according to a Monday letter obtained by the Texas Tribune.
Gardner Pate, Abbott’s press secretary, wrote to public university leaders on Monday and said that considering factors outside of merit to judge applicants violates state and federal law, the Texas Tribune reported. It is also illegal for public institutions to use taxpayer dollars to fund DEI initiatives, according to Pate.
“As Texans, we celebrate the diversity of our State and the presence of a workforce that represents our rich culture. In recent years, however, the innocuous-sounding notion of [DEI] has been manipulated to push policies that expressly favor some demographic groups to the detriment of others,” Pate wrote, according to a copy of the memo posted to Twitter by Manhattan Institute fellow Christopher Rufo.
BREAKING: Texas Gov. Abbott’s chief of staff sent a letter to all state universities warning that their DEI programs violate civil rights law.
The fight against left-wing racialist ideology has just begun—and we will not stop until colorblind equality is the law of the land. pic.twitter.com/SXe4JPw9IG
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) February 8, 2023
DEI initiatives “proactively encourage discrimination in the workplace” and use of diversity statements or commitment to DEI “as a condition of employment” discriminates against applicants, Pate wrote in the memo.
“As the head of your agency, you have a duty to follow the law,” Pate wrote. “When a state agency adjusts its employment practices based on factors other than merit, it is not following the law.”
“Rebranding” hiring procedures as “DEI does not make the practice any less illegal,” Pate wrote. He also warned university leaders that it is also unlawful to use “taxpayer dollars to fund offices, departments, or employee positions dedicated to promoting forbidden DEI initiatives.”
Pate did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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