Red State Gov Signs Order Barring Universities From Using Taxpayer Funding To Pay For ‘Diversity’ Programs

Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma signed an executive order Wednesday requiring state agencies and universities to review their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs and dismiss “non-essential personnel.”

The order bars “state agencies and institutions for higher education” from using taxpayer funds to mandate DEI training or require employees and new hires to sign onto a DEI “statement or give any applicant for employment preferential consideration based on the provision of such a diversity, equity, and inclusion statement.” Stitt said that his order would “encourage equal opportunity” in the state and take “politics out of education,” according to a press release.

“In Oklahoma, we’re going to encourage equal opportunity, rather than promising equal outcomes,” Stitt said in a statement. “Encouraging our workforce, economy, and education systems to flourish means shifting focus away from exclusivity and discrimination, and toward opportunity and merit. We’re taking politics out of education and focusing on preparing students for the workforce.”