The University of California system and leaders at UC Santa Cruz face a lawsuit over forcing people to submit a DEI statement with their application. From The College Fix:
The Pacific Legal Foundation filed the lawsuit on behalf of J.D. Haltigan, a former University of Toronto psychology professor, who argues the university’s DEI statement requirement runs afoul of the First Amendment because it requires Haltigan “to express ideas with which he disagrees in order to be eligible for employment.”The lawsuit states UC Santa Cruz applicants “must express agreement with specific socio-political ideas, including the view that treating individuals differently based on their race or sex is desirable.”But Haltigan’s support of colorblind inclusivity, viewpoint diversity and merit-based evaluations stands against UC Santa Cruz’s publicly stated progressive stances and policies, it alleges.“Because the DEI Statement Requirement requires Dr. Haltigan to affirm particular beliefs that are inherently separate from the qualifications for the position or the purpose of the University as a whole, it imposes a condition on employment that would be unconstitutional if done outright,” the lawsuit states.This case “could not only put an end to the use of DEI statements to screen applicants in the UC system,” it could also “create good precedent for future challenges to these sort of policies,” Jack Brown, Haltigan’s attorney, told The College Fix via email.
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