RICHARDSON, Texas — The University of Texas at Dallas is laying off about 20 employees and is closing a campus support center to comply with a state ban on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at public universities.
University President Richard Benson made the announcement Tuesday in an email to the campus community.
Specifically, Benson said the university’s Office of Campus Resources and Support and about 20 associated jobs will be cut effective April 30. Benson said in his letter that the impacted employees were notified and that student workers will retain their jobs through the end of the semester.
UT Dallas’ announcement comes one week after the University of Texas in Austin announced that it laid off about 60 people to comply with Senate Bill 17, which prohibits public universities from having DEI offices or holding DEI programs. The law took effect Jan. 1.
“I know that this decision will not be welcomed by many in our campus community,” Benson wrote in his letter. “I remain committed to ensuring that UT Dallas is a supportive community focused on developing the knowledge, the research and the people that are vital to our future.”
The bill’s author, State Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, sent a letter to public university leaders in late March, warning that renaming offices or titles would not be considered compliant with the law and that they risked “the potential freezing of university funding and legal ramifications for non-compliance” with the law.
“We have continued to evaluate our SB 17 response and how to realign many of the programs impacted by the legislation,” Benson added. “A limited number of functions will be moved to other administrative units to ensure continuity of services to our students, faculty and staff.”
Shortly after the University of Texas at Austin announced its layoffs, a group of professors called for their reversal in a letter.
Across the country, at least five other states have already passed similar laws.
This is a developing story. WFAA will update this story as additional information becomes available.
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