Tepper Seeks To Ban DEI Offices At Texas Universities

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State Representative Carl Tepper of Lubbock has filed legislation that would ban public higher education institutions from funding or supporting DEI offices also known as Offices of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

But that isn't what Tepper calls the office and he, along with many others point to an agenda being pushed by DEI offices that is "woke" and "very liberal" according to KAMC.

HB 1006 also prohibits any efforts to formulate diversity “beyond what is necessary to uphold the equal protection of the laws under the Fourteenth Amendment.”

“We call it division, inequity and indoctrination. The DEI office name is a misnomer,” Tepper said. “We feel like it’s purposely being misused, to push a very woke very liberal agenda. You can have any belief you want, you can have any care about race relations or sexual relations or what have you. But we think that on the state dollar, and the state budget, that these universities, these state departments, departments of the state of Texas, should be neutral.”

After Texas Tech University was recently highlighted in a Wall Street Journal piece for using DEI statements in the hiring process. Texas Tech has since said they have ended the use of DEI policies and criteria in the hiring process. Since that article appeared, the spotlight on DEI offices has intensified among Texas lawmakers and citizens.