New Law in North Dakota Bans Mandatory Diversity Training at Public Colleges and Universities

New Law in North Dakota Bans Mandatory Diversity Training at Public Colleges and Universities

This is great news. Hopefully, other states will follow their example.

The College Fix reports:

New North Dakota law bans mandatory diversity training in higher ed

Public colleges and universities in North Dakota can no longer require students or staff to undergo noncredit diversity, equity and inclusion training under a new law that takes effect Aug. 1.

The legislation, sponsored by six Republican state lawmakers, also bans mandatory diversity statements in hiring and admissions.

“An institution under the control of the state board of higher education may not ask the ideological or political viewpoint of a student, job applicant, job candidate, or candidate for promotion or tenure,” it states.

The North Dakota law came before the highly publicized new laws in Florida and Texas that ban DEI offices in higher education altogether. North Dakota’s legislation was not bragged on and garnered little attention, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported.

“Gov. Doug Burgum, a Republican, signed Senate Bill 2247 into law with little fanfare. His office issued no press release about its signing. Only the senate journal includes a communication from the governor stating that he signed the bill along with others,” the Chronicle reported.

The law prohibits public universities from compelling students and employees to attend noncredit seminars, workshops or orientations that include what it calls specified concepts. Specified concepts listed in the bill include that:

One race or sex is inherently superior or inferior to another race or sex;

An individual, by virtue of the individual’s race or sex, is inherently privileged, racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or subconsciously;

An individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment because of the individual’s race or sex;

An individual’s moral character is determined by the individual’s race or sex;

An individual, by virtue of the individual’s race or sex, bears responsibility for an action committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex;

A meritocracy is inherently racist or sexist, or designed by a particular race or sex to oppress another race or sex;

[North Dakota] or the United States is fundamentally or irredeemably racist or sexist.

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