Iowa vs. DEI in Higher Education

     Previously, Texas saw legislation introduced to ban “Diversity”, “Inclusion”, and “Equity” (AKA “DEI”, or more accurately the “DIE” agenda) offices or officers. Now Iowa is following the same path. HF 616 (formerly HSB 218) says, in part:

“A public institution of higher education shall not expend any moneys appropriated by the general assembly or any other moneys derived from bequests, charges, deposits, donations, endowments, fees, grants, gifts, income, receipts, tuition, or any other source to establish, sustain, support, or staff a diversity, equity, and inclusion office, or to contract, employ, engage, or hire an individual to serve as a diversity, equity, and inclusion officer.”

     They define their terns thus:

“1. “Diversity, equity, and inclusion” includes all of the following:
a. Any effort to manipulate or otherwise influence the composition of the faculty or student body with reference to race, sex, color, or ethnicity, apart from ensuring colorblind and sex-neutral admissions and hiring in accordance with state and federal anti-discrimination laws.
b. Any effort to promote differential treatment of or provide special benefits to individuals on the basis of race, color, or ethnicity.
c. Any effort to promote or promulgate policies and procedures designed or implemented with reference to race, color, or ethnicity.
d. Any effort to promote or promulgate trainings, programming, or activities designed or implemented with reference to race, color, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
e. Any effort to promote, as the official position of the public institution of higher education, a particular, widely contested opinion referencing unconscious or implicit bias, cultural appropriation, allyship, transgender ideology, microaggressions, group marginalization, anti-racism, systemic oppression, social justice, intersectionality, neo-pronouns, heteronormativity, disparate impact, gender theory, racial privilege, sexual privilege, or any related formulation of these concepts.

“Diversity, equity, and inclusion office” means any division, office, center, or other unit of a public institution of higher education that is responsible for creating, developing, designing, implementing, organizing, planning, or promoting policies, programming, training, practices, activities, or procedures related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. […]

“[…]

“3. “Diversity, equity, and inclusion officer” means an individual who is either employed by a public institution of higher education or who is an independent contractor of a public institution of higher education and whose duties include coordinating, creating, developing, designing, implementing, organizing, planning, or promoting policies, programming, training, practices, activities, and procedures relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion. […]”

     The most recent version of the bill can be found here, or below in the most recent version as of writing of this post.

Iowa H.F. 616 (2023) by ThePoliticalHat

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