The mother of a transgender child who tried to speak out against proposed changes to her school district’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies was forcibly removed by four police officers when she said one word at a meeting of the City Schools of Decatur Board of Education on Tuesday evening.
That word was “cowards.”
“I’m practicing my rights as a parent. I’m in no way resisting,” she said as she was carried out. “I’m not resisting, and this is what fascists do!”
Kotler went to the emergency board meeting to speak against changes to the district’s DEI policy, which used to require that “all learning environments… be inclusive, safe, secure, and supportive while also ensuring that no student group is marginalized.” This policy, as well as four others, was changed to remove words like “equity” and “Americans with Disabilities Act.” Two of the policies were rescinded completely.
The district’s DEI policy now states that it is “designed to achieve fair and just access to opportunity and resources that provide all humans the ability to thrive.”
Kotler, who is the mother of three children, including one transgender daughter and one nonbinary child, went to the meeting and shouted “Cowards!” at the board. Advocate reports that Board Chair Carmen Sulton asked her to leave.
“I said one word, I have already stated I have no intention of speaking again until public comment,” she responded. “I’m going to sit here. I have offered that if it makes the board feel comfortable, you, as a security employee, are welcome to sit next to me. If I speak again outside of public comment, I will leave. I have the right to be here, I have not used harsh language or threats.”
Police then approached her, but she didn’t get up. So they lifted her out of her seat and dragged her away, dropping her off on the stairs in front of the building.
“I’m practicing my rights as a parent. I’m in no way resisting,” she said as she was dragged off. “I’m not resisting and this is what fascists do!”
“It’s beyond evil that anyone is threatening these programs,” she later told Atlanta News First. “Our children spend a huge chunk of their lives at school. Their own sense of self and self-worth is developed at school. If we stop policies and programs that make those spaces inclusive and safe for everyone, we know what happens.”
“There are marginalized children and economically disadvantaged children in our district who rely on these programs.”
Decatur’s is one of many school districts across the country rewording their DEI policies in light of the new presidential administration’s antipathy towards promoting equal rights for minority students, particularly those who are transgender and nonbinary.
A Florida teacher has lost her job for calling a student by their preferred name without obtaining parental consent. Melissa Calhoun has taught in Brevard County for 11 years and is thought to be the first to fall prey to a new state policy requiring parents to sign a consent form for a student to go by something other than their legal name at school.
Administrators at Brevard County’s Satellite High School decided not to renew Calhoun’s contract for the 2025-2026 school year after a parent complained she’d been calling their child something other than their legal name. The student’s gender identity has not been revealed, but Florida Today reported that “community members believe” the case is “related to the student’s gender identity.”
The parental consent rule—which was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in 2023—does not specify the consequences for breaking it, but the school chose not to renew Calhoun’s contract since the state will now be reviewing her teaching contract due to the parent’s complaint, district spokeswoman Janet Murnaghan explained to the Washington Post. She has, however, been permitted to finish the school year.
“Teachers, like all employees, are expected to follow the law,” Murnaghan said.
But many in the Brevard County community are not on board with the school’s decision. Many people showed up to advocate for Calhoun at a recent school board meeting, even though her issue was not on the agenda.
“There was no harm, no threat to safety… Just a teacher trying to connect with a student. And for that her contract was not renewed, despite her strong dedication and years of service,” the school’s media specialist, Kristine Staniec, whose kids were taught by Calhoun, reportedly told the board.
Over 12,000 people have signed a Change.org petition to reinstate Calhoun, calling her “a cherished teacher” and “dedicated educator” who “is being punished merely for showing respect to a student’s choices.”
“Ms. Calhoun is an embodiment of what proper education should be: inclusive, understanding, and respectful of individuality,” the petition continued. “Losing her would be a significant loss to Brevard County’s education community.”
Brian Dittmeier, director of public policy for LGBTQ+ student advocacy organization GLSEN, told the Post that Calhoun’s firing “is an indicator of bureaucratic overreach of antitransgender policy,” in addition to the blatant anti-trans attacks it represents.
“A teacher could potentially be fired for calling a student Tim instead of Timothy,” he emphasized, pointing out how anti-trans laws hurt everyone in the end.
English teacher Rosia Sandri was left “heartbroken” after submitting her resignation on March 31 following a campaign of hate against her that followed a TikTok video she posted highlighting her experience as a trans woman in education. That video was shared by transphobes, who called for her to be fired.
Sandri came out as a trans woman seven years ago and taught English for three years at Red Oak High School in Ellis County, Texas. Sandri said her colleagues at the Red Oak Independent School District (ROISD) supported her, and she didn’t directly come out to her class but instead started dressing differently.
Students who noticed asked if they should call her by a different name or use certain pronouns; she told them they could call her “whatever they were comfortable with” but preferred she/her pronouns.
Sandri also has a TikTok account where she posts informative videos educating people on what it is like to be trans, and she filmed some videos after hours in her classroom.
Many of her former students follow her on that account and express their support in comment section, writing “best teacher ever” and “We miss you, stay strong. Lovely makeup.”
These videos, unfortunately, caught the attention of anti-trans influencer Chaya Raichik, who runs LibsOfTikTok. Raichik reposted one of Sandri’s videos, deadnaming and misgendering her. In the clip, Sandri talked about her pupils being supportive of her journey.
“They call me ‘ma’am. ’ They call me ‘miss,’” she said. “They use my correct pronouns and know my correct name, and it’s incredibly affirming.”
Raichik asked her over 4 million followers, “Would you feel comfortable with this person teaching your kid?”
Raichik is notorious for using her social media following to single out LGBTQ+ people and allies, presenting their innocuous interactions with children as “grooming.” Her followers harass and threaten businesses and institutions that support LGBTQ+ people, some going as far as to send bomb threats to children’s hospitals for providing gender treatment to trans youth. Schools targeted by Libs of TikTok faced similar repercussions.
Sandri was out sick when Libs of TikTok reposted her video but stated that she started receiving threats and harassment on her personal and school email. The human resources department at ROISD and the deputy superintendent reported that they have also received threats and have placed Sandri on administrative leave for two days while the school launches an investigation.
Texas state Rep. Brian Harrison (R) shared the Libs of TikTok post and called for Sandri to be fired.
“As the State Representative for Red Oak ISD, I am demanding that THIS TEACHER BE IMMEDIATELY TERMINATED!” Harrison tweeted.
On Monday, Sandri agreed with the school that she would resign.
“When I signed that resignation, it felt like my dream was being taken away from me,” Sandri told NBC. “I’m not going to get hired again as a teacher in Texas, and that hurts. It hurts I have to leave my students in the middle of the year…they keep on messaging me and asking if it’s illegal to be a trans teacher.”
Harrison later told NBC News that he was proud to have helped remove Sandri from her job.
“Any teacher who claims to get gender euphoria from their minor students and teaches them that boys can become girls should be terminated immediately,” Harrison said.
Despite this, Sandri has stated that she still wants to be a teacher and hopes to find a way.
The law, which will take effect on July 1, 2025, prohibits state universities like Iowa State from starting, maintaining or funding DEI offices or positions unless required by law or for accreditation. The Iowa Board of Regents imposed directives and a Dec. 31 deadline to eliminate functions like the Center.
Holding a ‘funeral’ for a community resource
ISU Students Against SF 2435 Coalition published a mock obituary and shared it with the Ames Tribune prior to Wednesday’s event. The obituary said the Center was “killed” on Dec. 31, “with the assistance of Iowa State University.”
“This marks a great loss for the community, and we encourage those impacted to join us and find community in these trying times,” the mock obituary reads.
Several students addressed the crowd on Wednesday, noting how the Center provided them with a safe space to connect with their community. They said they are frustrated that it’s closing. Several said the presence of the Center was a key factor in attending the university.
The Center is a place where LGBTQIA+ students could go for safety and support, Iowa State student Silvera Dudenhoefer said on Wednesday.
“It was a space that celebrated queer joy and accomplishment, academically and personally,” Dudenhoefer said. “Above all, it was a clear mark that LGBTQIA+ students mattered to this school.”
By removing the LGBTQIA+ from the Center, Dudenhoefer said the Board of Regents has “shown who they’re willing to push aside in an effort to comply.”
The Center, according to Iowa State’s website, is still open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, on the fourth floor of the Iowa State Memorial Union. Iowa State now lists The Center under the umbrella of multicultural student affairs.
‘The Center’ has been a LGBTQIA+ student resource for more than 30 years
Iowa State University’s Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Student Services (LGBTSS) opened on Nov. 8, 1992, and was housed above Student Services. It was initially staffed by student volunteers until 1997, when four full-time staff members were brought on.
The LGBTSS was rebranded as The Center for LGBTQIA+ Student Success in 2019 and relocated to the Memorial Union.
The Center is “a space for you to be yourself, find and build community, get involved, and explore lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and ally life at Iowa State University,” according to the school’s website.
Senator Quirmbach voices support for ‘encouraging’ campus environment
Senator Herman Quirmbach of Ames attended Wednesday’s gathering and addressed the crowd. He said Iowa State has a responsibility to provide a supportive and encouraging environment for every student, regardless of their background.
“This university is failing in its moral responsibility,” Quirmbach said. “The members of the Board of Regents are failing. And the legislature? Don’t get me started.”
Iowa State graduate student Amanda Thomas assured the gathered students that they have allies willing to support them.
“When attacks like this hurt my friends, my family, my coworkers and my peers, it hurts me and that’s not okay,” Thomas said. “Allies are here, even if you can’t see them.”
Reverand Kelli Clement from the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames said students are learning to take the “stone in their shoe” that came with Senate File 2435 being passed.
“When you find your people, it is a holy moment,” Clement said. “And the loss of this center does not mean that your people go away.”
For seven months, Red Oak ISD was a sanctuary for Rosalyn Sandri. She described it as a place where she pursued her lifelong dream of being a teacher.
But today, she’s no longer in the classroom.
Sandri, an English teacher, shared a video on TikTok talking about how her students had embraced her pronouns and showed respect by addressing her as “ma’am.”
“When I told them I changed my pronouns, they jumped right into it,” she said on Tuesday.
But Sandri said when the post was reposted on X, formerly known as Twitter, by the account Libs of TikTok, it went viral, racking up 3.2 million views.
That’s when the backlash began.
Sandri said she began receiving death threats and hateful emails, even through her school email account.
“I got a notice that told me to eat a bullet,” she said.
The video also caught the attention of Texas State Representative Brian Harrison, who publicly called for her resignation.
“Schools are for education, not indoctrination,” Harrison said over Zoom on Tuesday.
“Teaching children, minors, that boys can become girls, and girls can become boys is at odds with objective reality. And the biological reality is that there are only two sexes,” said Harrison.
In a statement to WFAA, Red Oak ISD confirmed that Sandri resigned effective immediately on Monday, March 31.
“In light of recent attention, Red Oak High School English teacher Sandri has resigned, effective March 31, 2025. Any other information is a personnel matter, and we are not at liberty to discuss.”
Sandri said she felt she had no choice but to step away for her safety and the safety of the school and students.
“When I resigned, I felt like I was signing away my ability to teach in the state of Texas. I don’t know that another school will touch me now,” she said.
“Being a teacher is all I ever wanted to do since I was five years old,” she said.
Ohio’s “Parents’ Bill of Rights” won’t go into effect for two more weeks, but House Republicans are already proposing amendments, including one that would penalize districts that used students’ chosen names and pronouns without parent permission.
Reps. Jonathan Newman (R-Troy) and Josh Williams (R-Sylvania Township) introduced House Bill 190 on Monday, which would require public schools to have parent permission to refer to a student by a name or pronoun that differs from what is listed on their birth certificate. Schools that violate the “Given Name Act” would be denied state funding and open themselves to lawsuits.
“It’s to make sure that parents can exercise, reconstitute the right to control the upbringing of their children, even inside of school buildings,” Williams said.
The bill also bans public school employees or contractors from requiring students or staff to respect students’ chosen names or pronouns. Even with parent permission, schools would not be allowed to subject staff or students to “adverse action” for declining to use a student’s preferred name and pronouns.
Although students older than 18 could personally request to be addressed differently under HB 190, teachers could not. The proposed bill would ban school employees from sharing their pronouns or titles if they differ from what is listed on the employee’s personal birth certificate. Williams said requiring students to use teachers’ pronouns makes young students affirm that genders can be changed.
After Florida enacted a similar ban in 2023, the state faced lawsuits from transgender and gender variant teachers, including high school teacher Katie Wood. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction that said the state’s ban on preferred pronouns violated Wood’s First Amendment rights, and a federal court heard oral arguments in October 2024. However, the court withdrew its interest in the case on Feb. 26, before a ruling was issued.
The law would not apply to derivatives, or generally accepted nicknames, of birth names. For instance, if director Spike Lee were an Ohio student, he could be called Shelton or Shel, from his given name Shelton Jackson Lee. However, he would need written permission to be called Spike under HB 190.
“We’ve got big problems and issues to deal with in our schools, in higher education,” Ohio House Minority Leader Rep. Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) said. “What we’re seeing and this sort of going back to pronouns and attacking diversity, equity and inclusion, it’s a distraction.”
The Given Name Act also establishes a complaint system through the Department of Education and Workforce. If the department determines a school district violated the law, the state would then withhold 10% of the school’s funding every month until the state determined they were now compliant. The bill also allows families to sue for monetary relief if a district or staff member knowingly violates it.
“There’s always discretionary funds that the Supreme Court has noted that we provide to school districts that we’re not constitutionally required to provide,” Williams said. “So that’s a funding mechanism that if school districts don’t want to comply with state law, there has to be some repercussions.”
HB 190 would update the Parents’ Bill of Rights, which will go into effect on April 9 and already requires schools to alert parents and guardians if a student requests to go by a name or pronoun that is different from what was assigned at birth.
Columbus City Schools students with preferred names in the district system had their names reverted back to what is on their birth certificate.
This mainly affected transgender and nonbinary students, and they were not notified that this was happening.
Students and teachers were caught off guard on March 19 when attendance was called and they realized preferred names were changed in the district’s system, called Infinite Campus.
“He found out about the rescinded name change policy at school,” one parent with a transgender son said. “His fourth-period teacher advised him to go to the office because his preferred name was not listed in Infinite Campus. My son started to go to the office and in a panic ran to the bathroom to call me at work.”
“To have that happen on such a grand scale and to not even see it coming, I don’t think that there are any words to describe the feelings that folks had when that happened,” said Izetta Thomas, the lead organizer with the Columbus Education Justice Coalition.
Thomas said she has been talking to parents and students since the day of the change.
“Those names that were in the system were actually there with parent consent and permission, because there was a form that parents had to fill out for that change to even be in the system at all,” Thomas said.
The parent said the past few weeks since the name changes have been long and difficult for their son and their family.
“My son has not physically been back to school since March 19,” the parent said. “For his safety, we unenrolled from his previous school. Now, his educational opportunities have been taken from him.”
Columbus Schools Superintendent Dr. Angela Chapman sent out a letter to students, parents and staff on Friday acknowledging that no warning was given. In the letter, Chapman said in part, “We did not provide prior notice this was occurring, nor did we ensure support was in place to prioritize the emotional well-being of everyone impacted.”
Chapman also apologized for how the district handled this situation.
The letter cited recent Ohio laws like the bathroom bill and the Parents’ Bill of Rights as reason why the names were changed, but Thomas said that none of these laws require school districts to revert trans students’ names.
“A lot of the information that we’ve been getting from folks at the district is that it was anticipatory,” Thomas said. “An apology is not enough. An apology is not accountability, and that’s what we’re looking for, is accountability.”
The parent did say Chapman called them personally to apologize, but they said she offered little in solutions.
Thomas said a number of people from the Columbus Education Justice Coalition will be at the next Columbus Board of Education meeting to show their support for impacted students and families.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced in a press release today (Monday, March 31) that his office has filed a legal petition to “conduct depositions on key Dallas Independent School District officials as part of an ongoing investigation to ensure that the district is not violating Texas law by permitting biological males to participate in girls’ sports.”
In February, Paxton demanded that Dallas ISD turn over “extensive records … related to alarming evidence that the District had implemented an unwritten policy of encouraging students to alter their birth certificates to play sports in violation of the Texas law prohibiting a student from competing in interscholastic athletic competitions designated for the opposite biological sex.”
“Biological sex,” by the way, is the catchphrase that certain political elements living on the extreme right of the political spectrum to give a scientific-sounding cover for their basic transphobia. As Psychology Today notes: “What is biological sex? It seems like a question with an obvious answer: male and female, of course. You might point to internal or external sex organs, or sex chromosomes (XX for females, XY for males), or genes (such as SRY, the maestro responsible for kicking off male development).
“These answers are only part of the story — and they work well enough for most humans. But for all humans? Not quite. And when it comes to the rest of the biological world, those explanations crumble like sandcastles under the tide of nature’s diversity.”
But back to Paxton’s attack of the day: The AG’s press release says the list of individuals he intends to depose includes Dallas ISD Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde, LGBT Youth Program Coordinator Mahoganie Gaston and the members of the Board of Trustees.
Paxton claims that “Gaston has been filmed telling a parent that a male student would be allowed to participate in girls’ sports if the parent changed the birth certificate of their son to ‘female,’” that the district “find[s] the loopholes in everything” and that she is “willing to go to jail for defying Texas law.”
A statement attributed to Paxton in the press release declares, “School districts must follow the law, keep our children safe and end these insane ‘gender theory’ policies that ignore reality and encourage illegal actions. ISD officials who have participated in this madness will be held accountable.
“The systematic effort by Dallas ISD officials to circumvent Texas law will be exposed and stopped.”
Dallas Voice has reached out to Dallas ISD officials for comment.
(P.S. This press release came from the AG’s office on the same day Paxton sent a press release explaining how his office is going to make certain local district attorneys report to him so he can make sure they are doing things his way. We’re still waiting on a comment from Dallas District Attorney John Creuzot’s office for some sort of official response, but a quick Google search indicates that Ken Paxton has no supervisory authority of local DAs who, by the way, are themselves public officials elected by the public, same as Paxton.)
UNT System Chancellor Michael Williams sent a directive on March 28 to the presidents of each university campus, informing them of a pause on any drag performances on campus or any state-funded facilities, effective immediately.
The directive states that the pause is supported by the Board of Regents to comply with state and federal laws and executive orders.
“As a public university it is our responsibility to comply with all applicable federal and state laws and executive orders while balancing our duty to carry out our core missions of teaching, learning and research,” Williams said in the directive.
The directive says the university will “wait on a definitive ruling on litigation against other Texas universities” before providing “necessary guidance.”
Nicole King, the Student Government Association’s director of advocacy, said Elizabeth With, senior vice president for Student Affair had reached out to the GLAD Queer Alliance – a student organization aimed at representing the needs and concerns of the queer community – and the Sigma Lambda Gammas – a sorority focused on empowerment for women of all cultural backgrounds – to “inform them about this new decision.”
The two student organizations at the university had previously planned drag shows for April.
The GLAD Queer Alliance was planning to hold the GLAD Queer Alliance UNT Drag Show 2025 on April 10 in the Emerald Ballroom in the University Union.
UNT Gammas Drag Night with the Gammas was slated to be held on April 11 in the Lyceum Theatre in the University Union.
The Daily could not confirm whether the two events will be moved off-campus at the time of writing.
Other Texas universities have enforced drag bans in the previous months in what they say is a response to President Donald Trump’s January 20 Executive Order “defending women from gender ideology extremism” and Gov. Greg Abbott’s letter stating that Texas “recognizes only two sexes,” though neither reference drag specifically.
The Texas A&M Board of Regents voted to ban drag shows on its campus on Feb. 28, according to an article from The Battalion. Following the ban, the Texas A&M Queer Empowerment Council retained legal counsel from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and filed a lawsuit against the Board of Regents on March 24.
The court granted a preliminary injunction – which preserves the status quo until a final judgment can be made – that barred the board from enforcing its ban, allowing the QEC to hold its annual “Draggieland” on campus on March 27.
The University of Texas System Board of Regents announced on March 18 that UT will no longer be permitted to fund or host drag shows on campus, according to an article from The Daily Texan.
“All activities at UT institutions are expected to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws and executive orders, including any restrictions on the use of public funds,” Board Chairman Kevin Eltife said in a statement. “Our public university facilities, supported by taxpayers, will not serve as venues for drag shows.”
The ban followed a letter Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare sent to UT Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife urging him to ban drag shows on UT System campuses. In the letter, O’Hare cites President Trump’s Executive Order and Gov. Greg Abbott’s letter urging compliance as reasons for his request.
“Rather than promoting anything to do with education, drag shows and related events denigrate women,” O’Hare said in the letter. “Drag shows highlight men reducing the perception of women to stereotypes and body parts. I would be encouraged to see the UT System focus on fostering environments of learning and not use resources to prop up sexually-oriented events.”
The most recent pause on drag performances mirrors last year’s cancellation of the University Program Council’s Drag Show because of governmental scrutiny.
Last May, the UPC Drag Show and University Libraries’ Campus Pride Week were canceled by the UNT System’s Office of General Counsel due to Senate Bill 17.
SB 17, signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2023, prohibits Texas public institutions of higher education from undertaking diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and from requiring employees to participate in DEI training or make DEI statements.
GLAD, being a student organization and therefore exempt from SB17, took over the show’s planning and hosted the event in the University Union.
The university’s chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America posted about the recently announced pause on drag on its Instagram page after being made aware of the directive by King.
“THIS IS BLATANT FACISM,” YDSA said in a post on Instagram.“UNT CONTINUES TO PRIORITIZE GOVERNMENT FUNDING OVER THE RIGHTS OF THEIR STUDENTS.”
YDSA said in a direct message to the Daily that they “absolutely condemn” the university’s decision.
“The UNT administration’s capitulation to the Abbott and Trump administrations show they do not care about the wellbeing of their students, and the principles of their university,” YDSA said.“Drag will always exist, no matter what legislator or administrator has to say about it.”
The Daily reached out to the university communications team but did not receive a response in time for publication.
The University of Michigan is immediately shutting down two offices and an effort dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion, and shifting the resources to other student programs, university officials said Thursday, after the Trump administration had threatened to cut off funding.
The email announcement by top UM officials, including President Santa Ono, said UM is closing its Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the Office for Health Equity and Inclusion as well as discontinuing its DEI 2.0 Strategic Plan. The moves came as the university has taken other actions, such as ending diversity statements in faculty hiring, in a bid to stop “litmus tests” that restrict the diversity of thought.
It is unclear how many people are employed at UM in DEI work, but the conservative Heritage Foundation ranked UM in 2021 as having the most DEI staff members in the nation, with 163 employees. The regents told The Detroit News the number has since grown, but they are not sure by how much.
A report in 2024 by the New York Times on UM’s DEI initiatives estimated them to cost $250 million. UM Chief Diversity Officer Tabbye Chavous later said the New York Times story was “filled with misinformation, disinformation and, sadly, sexism.”
UM officials said Thursday they will shift the DEI resources to programs for students, “such as financial aid, mental health resources, pre-professional counseling and other efforts that strengthen community, promote a sense of belonging and expand accessibility.”
“These decisions have not been made lightly. We recognize the changes are significant and will be challenging for many of us, especially those whose lives and careers have been enriched by and dedicated to programs that are now pivoting,” said the message, which also was signed by Laurie McCauley, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs; Marschall Runge, executive vice president for medical affairs; and Geoffrey Chatas, executive vice president and chief financial officer.
“We are deeply grateful for the meaningful contributions of leaders, faculty and staff who have advanced our ongoing efforts to create an ever-moreinclusive and respectful community.”
But Robert Sellers, the James S. Jackson distinguished professor of psychology and an education professor at the University of Michigan, said he was extremely disappointed, angry and bewildered at the university’s decision.
“The university has framed diversity, equity and inclusion as a core set of values that resulted in many, many, many efforts that have been successful at the university to make it more welcoming,” Sellers said Thursday. “Every particular measure of importance the university has increased as its diversity increased.”
On X, UM Regent Sarah Hubbard posted a tweet announcing the change as she noted that the regents ended the use of diversity statements in faculty hiring, which is “now expanded university wide and statements related to a person’s identity or commitment to DEI will no longer be solicited or considered in admissions, hiring, promotion, awards or reviews for faculty and staff.” Hubbard supported the move as a way to promote ideological diversity on campus.
“We are eliminating bureaucratic overspending and making Michigan more accessible,” the Republican regent said. “I will continue to push for even greater financial support for talented students with financial need.”
Derek Peterson, a UM history professor and member of the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs, called the decisions “a pretty dramatic policy change put through without any attempt to engage faculty government.”
“It’s a capitulation, an embarrassment, a departure from our mission as a university,” Peterson said. “It turns the university’s back on what we thought were core values of this institution in the name of expediency.”
UM’s moves followed a mid-February Trump administration order giving Michigan schools and universities until the end of the month to dump diversity initiatives or risk losing federal money.
In a memo to educational institutions, the U.S. Education Department gave an ultimatum to stop using “racial preferences” as a factor in admissions, financial aid, hiring or other areas. Schools were given 14 days to end any practice that treats students or workers differently because of their race or lose their eligibility for federal money.
The Chronicle of Higher Education reported it has since tracked DEI changes at 270 college campuses in 38 states.
Among them are Ohio State University, which is closing its Office of Diversity and Inclusion and canceling some of its services. The University of Southern California, meanwhile, has announced plans to dissolve its university-wide Office of Inclusion and Diversity, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Other schools have said they will remain committed to building diversityon campus, while still nodding to the Trump administration’s push to dismantle DEI efforts.
Northeastern University’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has changed its name to “Belonging in Northeastern.”
Some institutions are distancing themselves from the PhD Project, an organization that helps Black and Latino students pursue business degrees. The U.S. Education Department cited the nonprofit when it announced March 14 it was investigating dozens of universities, including UM, for alleged racial discrimination.
The University of Kentucky, the University of Wyoming and Arizona State University all said they were discontinuing support for the PhD Project.
Student: ‘My heart is broken’
The move in the progressive Ann Arbor community Thursday sparked a backlash. Some students, such as junior Pragya Choudhary, said they feel betrayed by the university.
“How do you say you’re removing the office of DEI, but pledging to continue all of these things as if that’s not what the office of DEI was there for?” said Choudhary, who was in class when he heard the news. “How are you going to say that ‘Oh, we’ll still have these cultural events,’ when clearly we’re not going to, because you’re getting rid of the office that would help us put those events on?”
Choudhary chose to attend UM because the university celebrated diversity and he had hoped this would continue. In his first address to the university community in 2022, Ono pledged his commitment to diversity and inclusion efforts, promising to invest in and develop staff.
“This is, it’s flying in the face of every value I held this university to. My heart is broken,” Choudhary said.
The UM’s Thursday email acknowledged progress since the launch of the university’s DEI strategic plan in 2016. First-generation undergraduate students have increased 46%, while undergraduate Pell recipients rose more than 32%, driven in part by programs such as the Go Blue Guarantee free tuition program and Wolverine Pathways, a free college readiness course offered by seventh through 12th graders in poorer areas such as Detroit and Ypsilanti, according to UM officials.
“Over the course of our strategic efforts, we have heard strong pride in the university’s support for student-facing programs,” the UM message said. “We have also heard concerns about the balance of resources between administration and direct student support. Some in our campus community have voiced frustration that they did not feel included in DEI initiatives and that the programming fell short in fostering connections among diverse groups.”
University web pages will be evaluated for compliance with federal executive orders and guidance, the Thursday release said, and theuniversity’s general counsel will start an “expedited review” to make sure policies, programs and practices comply with federal law.
UM professor Sellers said he found it particularly disappointing that the university insinuated that DEI programs were not as successful as the data shows.
“If they choose to run and hide from DEI, at least have the courage to say they’re running and hiding from DEI,” Sellers said.
The decision to disband DEI efforts will affect the university’s ability to serve the broader state of Michigan, he said.
“This is how we like to refer to ourselves as ‘leaders and best,’ when, in fact, we are not leading and we are definitely not the best,” Sellers said.
Where savings will go
Savings from the shuttering of the two DEI offices will be used for the Go Blue Guarantee and go to families with incomes of $125,000 or less as well as to expand efforts like the Blavin Scholars Program, which helps undergraduate students who have experienced foster care or kinship care, according to the UM release.
The university will also maintain multicultural student spaces and residence halls like the Trotter Multicultural Center and the Spectrum Center for gender and sexuality resources.
Another initiative is to explore ways to help student achievement through “improved advising, counseling and pre-professional guidance, as well as continue investing in innovative approaches, such as 24/7 AI tutors and a personal AI assistant for every member of the community,” the university said.
Hubbard emphasized that there are benefits to ending the DEI offices and moving the money elsewhere.
“Ending DEI programs will also allow us to better expand diversity of thought and free speech on our campus,” the regent said. “The end of litmus test hiring and curtailment of speech stops now. People from all walks of life, representing a variety of ideologies, will be welcome at Michigan.
Among the moves was the UM board’s decision in October to adopt an institutional neutrality policy that prohibits university officials from taking a stance on political or social issues unless they are related to the internal governance of the university. Critics disagreed, saying university policy-making requires leaders to take stances on issues.
“As we move forward with creation of the Institute on Civil Discourse, I look forward to hosting a variety of perspectives on campus,” Hubbard said. “Today’s announcement follows a number of policy and process changes that are making our campus safer and stronger as a place of learning and academic excellence. I’m honored to be a leader at this amazing institution.”
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