Misti Cordell, Chair of the Louisiana Board of Regents (BOR), stated in a recent Hayride article that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in Louisiana higher education are “done” and that the Legislature “killed” them. This is simply not the case.
The DEI objective Cordell references remains funded in the FY 25–26 executive budget, raising serious questions about where taxpayer dollars are going and whether they could continue to support programs critics say discriminate against White and Asian students.
Cordell’s legislative claims also fall short. HB 685, which sought to ban DEI offices, statements, and courses tied to race or gender in public universities and state agencies, passed comfortably in the House but died in the Senate without referral to any committee because Senate President Cameron Henry did not call this critical
bill on the Senate floor. (LACAG and others have asked Henry to explain why HB 685 was not passed as a matter of top priority and sent to the Governor’s desk.)
In other words, the legislative effort to end DEI failed despite a supermajority Republican Senate and a Republican Governor. We were there.
Because the fact that funding lines tied to DEI remain active, several urgent questions arise:
- Where will the funds actually go, and who guarantees they won’t continue to be used for discriminatory programs?
- Will a budget amendment be required to reallocate or cancel these expenditures?
- Who will oversee the redirection of funds to ensure compliance with state policy?
To restore accountability, the following steps are necessary:
- Reveal the authorship of the DEI objective that remains in the executive budget;
- Conduct a five-year audit to determine whether White and Asian students were denied access to programs or services;
- Have the Attorney General investigate potential violations of civil rights laws, including Title VI;
- Require BOR Commissioner Kim Hunter Reed to address her ongoing partnership with organizations promoting DEI;
- Revisit the FY 25–26 budget to strip or reassign any funds tied to discriminatory objectives.
DEI is absolutely not “done” in Louisiana, despite overwhelming opposition among Louisiana citizens. And until our state takes the stated actions, it will remain entangled with policies it claims to have dismantled. True accountability demands transparency, oversight, and decisive action. It is way overdue.
Chris Alexander
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