Texas Governor Greg Abbott has advised state agencies and public universities to stop considering diversity in hiring practices.
Abbott said that these policies violate federal and state hiring laws.
The Texas Tribune reports:
Gov. Greg Abbott tells state agencies to stop considering diversity in hiringGov. Greg Abbott’s office is warning state agency and public university leaders this week that the use of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives — policies that support groups who have been historically underrepresented or discriminated against — is illegal in hiring.In a memo written Monday and obtained by The Texas Tribune, Abbott’s chief of staff Gardner Pate told agency leaders that using DEI policies violates federal and state employment laws, and hiring cannot be based on factors “other than merit.”Pate said DEI initiatives illegally discriminate against certain demographic groups — though he did not specify which ones he was talking about.“The innocuous sounding notion of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) has been manipulated to push policies that expressly favor some demographic groups to the detriment of others,” Pate wrote.
The Daily Caller has more on this:
DEI initiatives “proactively encourage discrimination in the workplace” and use of diversity statements or commitment to DEI “as a condition of employment” discriminates against applicants, Pate wrote in the memo.“As the head of your agency, you have a duty to follow the law,” Pate wrote. “When a state agency adjusts its employment practices based on factors other than merit, it is not following the law.”“Rebranding” hiring procedures as “DEI does not make the practice any less illegal,” Pate wrote. He also warned university leaders that it is also unlawful to use “taxpayer dollars to fund offices, departments, or employee positions dedicated to promoting forbidden DEI initiatives.”
The Republican Governors Association should recommend this policy position to GOP governors nationwide.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY