University will face no immediate penalties if it refuses to comply with anti-DEI legislation: Report
The directive and policy changes do not come with any apparent punishments if the university refuses to comply.
The University of Kansas (KU) is enforcing a ban on preferred pronouns in employee email signatures beginning Aug. 1, despite the fact that the state law behind the directive apparently carries no financial penalty for noncompliance.
The pronoun rule stems from a state budget proviso passed by the Kansas Legislature as part of its broader effort to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across public institutions.
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Lawmakers initially proposed withholding $4 million in funding to enforce compliance but dropped that provision from the final budget.
Citing an anonymous state employee, the Lawrence Journal-World reported that no penalties have been included in the anti-DEI legislation.
Although the final legislation lacks any enforcement mechanism, KU officials told employees the change was mandatory, pointing to guidance from the Kansas Board of Regents. That guidance, issued by the board’s general counsel, claimed universities were “directed” to implement five policy changes even though the Board of Regents never voted to approve the mandate.
KU spokesman Joe Monaco said the university interpreted the memo as a directive, not discretionary guidance.
However, the budget language itself only requires the Secretary of Administration to certify whether agencies are in compliance; it does not compel institutions to act or impose penalties for failing to do so.
Legal concerns have already emerged. Civil rights groups, including the ACLU of Kansas and Equality Kansas, are questioning the policy’s constitutionality, citing possible First Amendment violations.
Equality Kansas called the ban “founded in fascism” and encouraged civil disobedience.
Despite the absence of immediate budget consequences, KU has instructed supervisors to report employees who refuse to remove pronouns from their email signatures. The university receives over $155 million annually from the state, but that funding is not currently at risk.