UT Chattanooga students protest DEI reforms, demand repeal of state law
Student groups at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga marched on Monday to protest conservative reforms targeting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in higher education.
The protest attracted about 50 students and attendees marched from the UTC campus to the Chattanooga Courthouse.
Student groups at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga marched on Monday to protest conservative reforms targeting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in higher education.
The protest attracted about 50 students, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. The protesters marched from the UTC campus to the Chattanooga Courthouse.
The groups, UTC Civic Engagement and UTC Spectrum, hosted the Oct. 27 protest against “anti-DEI legislation” at the state and federal levels, according to an Instagram post.
In April, Tennessee legislators passed H.B 622, otherwise known as the Dismantle DEI in Employment Act, to target identity-based discrimination in government and public higher education.
To comply with the legislation, UTC officials eliminated identity-based offices on Oct.10, including the Center for Women and Gender Equity, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Office of Student and Family Engagement, and the Prism Center.
Additionally, President Trump signed an executive order in January to eliminate DEI at colleges and universities that receive federal funding. The order criticizes schools that continue to promote “dangerous, demeaning, and immoral race- and sex-based preferences under the guise of so-called ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ (DEI).”
Monday’s protest demanded that both government actions be repealed.
“We want to send a powerful message to the capital that we will make our voices heard, and we will not stand for our Diversity, Equity, and inclusion communities to be erased,” UTC Civic Engagement said in the Oct. 26 Instagram post.
The group also announced plans to draft a bill to repeal the state’s anti-DEI law.
UTC Civic Engagement describes itself as “non-partisan and dedicated to creating a safe, inclusive space where every student can learn, speak out, and communicate with representatives to ensure that democracy and human rights endure.”
To accomplish its mission, UTC Civic Engagement holds regular protests for various left-wing causes, such as gun control and “No Kings.”
[RELATED: UVA to end DEI practices in agreement reached with Trump administration]
Earlier this month, the organization expressed frustration that university officials allowed the conservative group Turning Point USA to establish a campus chapter. The school approved the chapter on Oct. 8, after initially rejecting it at the behest of other student organizations on campus, including UTC Civic Engagement.
“It’s a gross violation of SGA’s autonomy,” UTC Civic Engagement member Jack Morgan said about the reversal, according to The University Echo. “The administration just went over that decision and capitulated to fascists.”
Campus Reform has contacted the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, UTC Civic Engagement, and UTC Spectrum for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
