Alabama's DEI Ban in College Faces Legal Pushback Over Alleged Discrimination
The lawsuit seeks to stop enforcement of Alabama's anti-DEI law, stating that it does not comply with the First Amendment.
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A group of professors and students at an Alabama university are on the move to block a new state law that bars colleges from operating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, as well as restricting talks on race and gender.
Plaintiffs claim that the law runs afoul of the First Amendment by curtailing educators' speech rights and targets Black students in its aim at race-related issues and programs they are likely to benefit from.
Filed by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the ACLU of Alabama, CBS 24 reported that the lawsuit aims to declare the law unconstitutional and prevent its enforcement. This explains how faculty members felt compelled to cancel class discussions or change curricula to avoid violating the law. The law also requires closing or rebranding DEI offices and bans events or training that focus on the identities of specific groups.
Critics also view the legislation as a step backward, erasing hard-won initiatives that foster diversity and support underrepresented groups in higher education. It is following similar legal fights in other states. Just recently, a federal judge partially blocked a Florida law limiting race-related discussions in colleges last month.
The ruling of the Alabama case may hold considerable implications for the DEI programs across the nation, particularly because such measures are gaining popularity in other Republican-led states.
Read more: Nearly 50% of US College Students Oppose Mandatory DEI Courses, Labeling Them 'Discriminatory'
Supporters of the DEI Ban in Colleges
Supporters of the law, such as Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, believe that DEI programs only encourage division and promote a biased political agenda. The law bans classes or training involving eight "divisive concepts," including assigning guilt or blame based on race, religion, or gender.
Last year, the University of Alabama has already scrapped its DEI programs. A University Herald article explained that they will focus on promoting access and engagement rather than diversity in colleges. Alabama Republican Will Barfoot stated that this was the first step of higher education in the US going back to normal.
Ahead of newly-elected US President Trump's inauguration, other public universities are following suit to divest DEI funds or ban them completely to align with the new administration's vision in education.
