Rights group, politicians react to UT layoffs, DCCE closing months after SB 17 began

The University of Texas layoffs and closing of the Division of Campus and Community Engagement have garnered national attention since April 2. But close to home, Texas liberal politicians and rights groups have come forward both strongly against the decision, while conservative leaders have applauded the approach.

What happened at UT?

At least 60 staff members who previously had a DEI-related position before Senate Bill 17, a law that went into effect Jan. 1 banning Diversity, Equity and Inclusion offices and employees who fulfill those functions, were laid off effective in 90 days or more April 2. The Texas NAACP President Gary Bledsoe said in a statement April 10 that they have confirmed 66 individuals have received notice of termination, but expect the number is larger.

An email from President Jay Hartzell around 1 p.m. that day said that the division, previously the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, was also closing as the university sought to reduce duplication in their programming.

More: Sources: UT lays off at least 60 employees previously in DEI-related position, closes DCCE

The university would not confirm how many programs or positions have been eliminated.

UT Dallas April 9 announced it was closing its Office of Campus Resources and Support and laying off about 20 staff members. Bledsoe said at a press conference April 10 that he worries more universities will follow.

Both announcements came shortly after Sen. Brandon Creighton's letter to university chancellors, including of the UT System, urging them to comply with the law and alerting them to hearings in May where universities will have to assert their compliance.

More: 'We did not see this coming': UT staff, students react to layoffs, DCCE closure after SB17

Political reactions

In a statement April 3 to the Statesman, Creighton said the Texas Senate Committee on Education is expected to "make sure that all individuals are valued equally" and that DEI has been "a failed experiment that threatens free speech" and detract from research.

"The recent actions by the University of Texas demonstrate that they are taking steps to ensure compliance with SB 17—the strongest ban on DEI in the nation," Creighton said in his statement to the Statesman. "While any decision to release staff members is a difficult one, the efficiencies gained, and reinvestment into recruiting a diverse blend students and professors, based upon merit, are of the highest priority."

House Speaker Dade Phelan took to X April 2 to state that the actions at UT Austin are "proof that the Legislature’s actions are working."

"Today’s action by the University of Texas at Austin is a direct result of the law the House passed last year to prohibit DEI initiatives at our higher education institutions—legislation I was proud to pass in the Texas House," Phelan posted.

Phelan said DEI programs were ineffective, and "Texas must cultivate an education system that celebrates diversity of thought while also ensuring every student, regardless of their background, has an equal opportunity to succeed and compete in our global workforce."

In an interview, Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, a longtime member of the Higher Education Committee in the Texas House, said the anti-DEI push from legislators is political, distracting and "a step backwards."

"These programs were not about a chance to cut the line, these were programs to allow them in the line," Howard added.

Howard also pointed Texas's automatic enrollment law, a law that requires 75% of UT's class to consist of auto-enrolled top Texas high school students, now the top 6% of their class, as a "purposeful" way the legislature was trying to support diversity. Now, she said, the legislature is using "its financial muscles to force these changes that are ill conceived."

"This is to me more about political rhetoric and following a national agenda that emphasizes the ridiculous word of wokeness to talk about diverse populations," Howard said.

SB 17 hearings held by the Senate Committee on Education are expected to start in May. Until then, groups like Texas AAUP, Texas NAACP and the Texas Legislative Black Caucus said they will continue monitoring the changes and fight for change.

"We will continue to monitor this situation closely and work tirelessly to address systemic issues that perpetuate injustice and inequality in our education system," said the Texas Legislative Black Caucus in their statement April 3. "The TxLBC will continue speaking truth to power and fighting to protect the freedoms of all Texans.

How did rights organizations react?

In a joint statement April 2, Texas NAACP and Texas AAUP expressed "urgent concern" for UT's decision, writing that all staff were now in roles that were compliant with SB 17, and calling for the university to be transparent about the terminations and the impact.

"Given that DCCE had already been modified to comply with SB 17, its dismantling his appears to be an inappropriate and unnecessary response to SB17," the statement said.

The terminations, the statement said, are "potential attacks on First Amendment freedoms." The groups accused the university of retaliating against "their previous association with DEI and speech" and of "racial and ethnic discrimination" in their cuts.

Austin Justice Coalition, an organization advocating for justice in Austin, also released a statement standing "in vehement condemnation" of University of Texas's actions, calling for them to reinstate staff positions, programs like Monarch and the Multicultural Engagement Center, which had also closed due to SB 17 in January to students' surprise.

"The University of Texas boasts this progressive haven of the south and 'What here changes the world,'" said Chas Moore, the founder and co-executive director of the coalition, in an interview. "For them just to buckle so quickly is just really telling of who the institution really is and what they're really about."

Nelson Linder, the president of Austin NAACP, said in an interview the local branch is working on "direct action" to protest the administration's decision. Linder said this was "the most racist" action he's seen in a long time.

"We're very, very serious," he said, urging people to get involved and pressure the university. "We need to remind them this state is for everybody."

Sarah Kate Ellis, the president and CEO of GLAAD, a non-profit focused on LGBTQ+ advocacy, called SB 17 "a dangerous setback for LGBTQ students."

The Deputy Directory of Equality Texas, Brad Pritchett, said in a statement that the impact of the bill will be long-term.

"This push from Texas officials to extinguish the diversity of our marquee universities will harm Texas for generations," Pritchett's statement said. "The integrity of our Texas institutions is being corroded by a divisive campaign to erase whole communities from our state universities.”

UT did not respond to the Statesman's request for comment.

"I recognize that strong feelings have surrounded SB 17 from the beginning and will shape many Longhorns' perceptions of these measures," Hartzell wrote in his email April 2. "It is important that we respect the perspectives and experiences of our fellow Longhorns as the changes we are announcing today take effect. It is also important that this continues to be a welcoming, supportive community for all."

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: SB 17: Rights group, politicians react to UT layoffs, DCCE closing