Wyoming Debates Closing UW DEI Programs, Florida Has Done It

The Wyoming Senate passed an amendment to defund gender studies and the Department Of Equity & Inclusion at the University of Wyoming.

That same amendment failed in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

This debate is not over.

Wyoming is not the only state looking to defund Equity & Inclusion programs.

Florida's Governor DeSantis, ordered Florida's public universities to disclose all government funds spent on DEI (Diversity Equity & Inclusion) and the teaching of critical race theory.

The findings show that the University of Florida, located in Gainesville, has been running 30 to 40 DEI programs at a cost of more than $5 million per year.

UF has 1,018 separate DEI initiatives, focusing on recruitment, training, and even 'affirming diverse identities.' Also 'legacies of slavery and oppression' to 'decolonizing the curriculum' and a 'gender pronouns initiative.'

The University of Florida has just announced it was closing its main DEI office and eliminating those jobs in line with current state law.

This includes removing the Chief Diversity Officer and all staff in that office.

The move leaves over $5 million in funds available that will be placed in the teacher's retirement fund.

Meanwhile in Wyoming, Sen. Cheri Steinmetz, R-Lingle, introduced Amendment 13 in the Senate.

“The University of Wyoming shall not expend any general funds, federal funds or other funds under its control for any gender studies courses, gender studies academic programs, gender studies co-curricular programs or gender studies extra-curricular programs.”

“This is an old friend of the Senate,” Steinmetz said on the Senate floor.

“I don’t believe it is the right position for the university to take sides on this issue, to put forth more of an ideology than a program.”

 

Wyoming's yearly legislative session is almost over.

So, how will this end?