North Carolina's governor vetoed two significant bills from the Republican-led General Assembly that targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in higher education. Senate Bill 558 aimed to ban DEI offices and prohibit certain concepts deemed divisive, including those identifying meritocracy as inherently biased. It also sought to restrict free speech protections related to microaggressions. Additionally, House Bill 171 aimed to eliminate DEI across state government, defining it broadly and ruling out special benefits based on various classifications. The veto emphasized the value of diversity and free speech in education.
In his veto message Thursday, Gov. Josh Stein wrote, "Diversity is our strength. We should not whitewash history, police dorm room conversations, or ban books. Rather than fearing differing viewpoints and cracking down on free speech, we should ensure our students learn from diverse perspectives and form their own opinions."
Senate Bill 558 would have banned institutions from having offices 'promoting discriminatory practices or divisive concepts' or focused on DEI. The bill defined 'discriminatory practices' as 'treating an individual differently [based on their protected federal law classification] solely to advantage or disadvantage that individual as compared to other individuals or groups.'
The bill would have also banned institutions from establishing processes 'for reporting or investigating offensive or unwanted speech that is protected by the First Amendment, including satire or speech labeled as microaggression.'
House Bill 171 is riddled with vague definitions regarding DEI, broadly banning it within state government, including the promotion of 'differential treatment of or providing special benefits to individuals on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, nationality, country of origin, or sexual orientation.'
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