Faculty form group to defend DEI at the University of Alabama in response to anti-DEI law
A group of faculty at the University of Alabama organized a chapter of the American Association of University Professors in response to an Alabama anti-DEI law.
One of the founding members is a plaintiff in an ongoing lawsuit that claims that the anti-DEI law inhibits teaching abilities on campus.
A group of faculty at the University of Alabama formed a chapter of the American Association of University Professors in response to statewide efforts to curtail Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in education.
University of Alabama Professor Sara McDaniel helped organize the new chapter. The national organization’s website articulates a mission to “advance academic freedom and shared governance.” However, the AAUP has also faced repeated criticism for its recent support of DEI mandates.
Several faculty members at the University of Alabama defended the local group’s formation. One cast the group as a bulwark against legislative efforts to insulate students from difficult issues, stating to The Crimson White, “Do you want to be a snowflake and not learn anything about the world?. . . . Or do you want to learn from people who are experts in how the world works and then be able to ask hard questions about it?”
Parallel to her new role as chapter president, McDaniel is also a plaintiff in an ongoing lawsuit against the state of Alabama’s law, SB 129, which prohibits DEI in public institutions, as reported by The Crimson White.
A group of 25 state senators proposed S.B. 129. It aims to prohibit state agencies and public institutions like the University of Alabama from sponsoring or hosting “divisive” events or curriculum. The bill defines “divisive concepts” as those which assert the superiority or inferiority of an ethnic, racial, sex, or religious group, casting fault, blame, or moral deficiency on such groups.
Represented by the ACLU and NAACP, McDaniel is seeking a preliminary injunction against the proposed law. A recent NAACP press release argues that the legislation “places significant limitations on the ability of public university professors to teach, and students to learn and engage in, disfavored topics and viewpoints that elected politicians in the Alabama Legislature unilaterally labeled ‘divisive concepts’ and ‘DEI’.”
[RELATED: University of New Hampshire dismantles DEI programs after state budget ban]
McDaniel told The Crimson White that students attend universities to benefit from DEI, stating: “People come to institutions of higher education to gain knowledge and hear different perspectives. That’s the point.”
Earlier this month, the matter advanced to the courtroom, where the plaintiff’s attorney delivered opening remarks. He asserted that the proposed law would prohibit professors from dividing a classroom to take pro and con positions on controversial topics, such as reparations for slavery, according to The Alabama Reflector.
The two-day hearing concluded earlier this month, and a ruling is anticipated soon.
Campus Reform contacted the University of Alabama for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
