FIRE sues to halt California Community College DEI mandates

Learn more: https://www.thefire.org/news/lawsuit-fire-sues-stop-california-forcing-professors-teach-dei

DEI stands for “diversity, equity, and inclusion" — all of which sounds fine, right? But materials put out by the state of California show that in this case, DEI translates to highly contested and controversial views. The state’s definitions say that the idea of “color blindness” "perpetuates... racial inequities," and even the idea of "merit," is "embedded in the ideology of Whiteness" and "upholds race-based structural inequality.”

FIRE has filed a lawsuit on behalf of six California community college professors to halt new, systemwide regulations forcing professors to espouse and teach these politicized conceptions of “diversity, equity, and inclusion.” The regulations are now in effect in the State Center Community College District, and FIRE’s clients have already been forced to change their syllabi and teaching materials, lest they face repercussions.