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LSU board abruptly drops part of school's DEI policy; 3 Black members walk out before vote
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BATON ROUGE — The LSU Board of Supervisors passed a resolution Thursday to eliminate some diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in its university system, according to Louisiana Illuminator.
The resolution was vaguely listed on the meeting agenda and not included in the information packet provided to board members and the public in advance of the meeting. University spokespeople did not respond to requests for the document from the Illuminator.
In a statement posted on X on Friday, Gov. Jeff Landry linked to a story by the Louisiana Illuminator and thanked the board for taking action: "This move by the LSU Board of Supervisors is a huge step in the right direction, and I am eager to see other Louisiana colleges follow suit. College admission in Louisiana will be based on MERIT."
The resolution, made public only moments before the board voted on it, passed without objection, though every Black board member except for Chairman Jimmie Woods — Collis Temple, James Williams and Valencia Jones — left the meeting before the resolution was voted on.
In a statement after the board vote, Woods referenced the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which held that race-based affirmative action in college admissions is unconstitutional.
“LSU looks for intellectually curious and academically gifted students to be admitted to our school no matter their race, ethnicity or financial background,” Woods said. “Today the board adopted a resolution to codify as policy the principles outlined by the Supreme Court ruling.”
While the court decision is limited to college admissions, some ultra-conservative politicians have tried to use the case to limit DEI programs in public and private organizations. Woods declined to respond to questions from a reporter as to the legal reasoning behind adopting the resolution.
The resolution requires LSU to conduct a comprehensive review of all of its “programs and bureaucracies” in which classifications are maintained based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, political views or national origin. The measure specifically names diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Any programs found to confer “any preferential treatment in violation of the rule of law outlined by the Supreme Court in SFA v. Harvard” will be eliminated, according to the resolution.
DEI statements in hiring will also be banned by the university following the board’s action Thursday.
The resolution specifically states it is not intended to limit academic freedom, fulfilling accreditation requirements or hinder student organizations.
The adoption of the resolution follows several high-profile moves in early January to eliminate DEI language from LSU’s website in the final hours before Gov. Jeff Landry was sworn into office. The university scrubbed its diversity statement from the website and renamed its Division of Inclusion, Civil Rights and Title IX to the Division of Engagement, Civil Rights and Title IX.
At the time, university leaders sold the change as mostly cosmetic.
“We’re committed to most of the ideas that are associated with DEI because fundamentally we’re committed to equal opportunities,” LSU President William Tate told professors at an LSU Faculty Senate meeting in January.
Even more anti-DEI political pressure has built since then.
Louisiana legislators passed a bill requiring state colleges to report to them on all DEI programming and spending. Another bill to ban DEI, filed by Sen. Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport, stalled in committee but is likely to be filed next year.
The LSU board resolution also requires administrators to provide them a report within the next 90 days that includes a detailed listing of programs and positions that have been eliminated or will be eliminated.
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