University of North Texas disbands DEI programs in compliance with Texas anti-DEI law
The University of North Texas has removed numerous diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs following the implementation of Texas Senate Bill 17, an anti-DEI law passed in 2023.
Eliminated initiatives include BIPOC-specific counseling, culture-based events, and gender-affirming resources such as free clothing and haircuts.
The University of North Texas (UNT) removed or modified 96 diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs following the passage of Texas’ anti-DEI law, a public records request shows.
The request was made by North Texas Daily and the results were published on Dec. 4. It details dozens of DEI-related programs that have been modified or eliminated since the anti-DEI Senate Bill 17, which was signed into law in 2023, went into effect.
One eliminated program involved “specialized counseling and wellness programming to students who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color),” according to North Texas Daily.
Additionally, culture-based graduations, a LatinX “weekend retreat,” an African American “weekend retreat,” and a gender identity-centered movie screening program called “Fem Flicks” have all been removed.
UNT also eliminated a program called “Queer Cuts” which “provide[d] a gender-affirming environment for students to get haircuts.” A program called “OUTfits Clothing Closet,” which provided free “gender-affirming clothing and accessories,” was also cut.
Finally, 11 separate “DEI Councils” spread throughout the university were all either reformed or discontinued.
UNT is not alone in removing DEI programs and policies in the wake of the passage of Texas’ anti-DEI legislation. More than 130 scholarships predicated on race and gender have been eliminated or paused since the passage of the law.
The efficacy of the anti-DEI law has been lauded by state officials, including state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe.
“Since implementation of SB 17,” Creighton told The Dallas Morning News earlier this year, “Texas colleges and universities have made real progress to return their institutions to the mission of innovation and education and throughout the process, many institutions are eliminating inefficiencies and redundant expenditures — which could include programs or scholarships that have been eliminated or changed,”
“The law makes clear that taxpayer funds should not be spent conferring special benefits based on race, color, or ethnicity,” Creighton concluded.
More recently, Republican legislators in Texas have considered extending the state’s DEI ban to course curriculum.
“While DEI-related curriculum and course content does not explicitly violate the letter of the law, it indeed contradicts its spirit,” Creighton said in November. “The curriculum does not reflect the expectations of Texas taxpayers and students who fund our public universities.”
Campus Reform has contacted the University of North Texas for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
