Black and Hispanic lawmakers criticize Gov. Greg Abbott for order limiting diversity considerations in hiring

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Black and Hispanic lawmakers condemned Gov. Greg Abbott’s recent order to Texas universities and government agencies to remove diversity, fairness, and inclusiveness from their hiring practices.

At a press conference Tuesday morning at the State Capitol, lawmakers from the Texas Black Legislature and the Mexican-American Legislature, representatives of the Texas chapter of the NAACP, and religious leaders across the state said the governor’s assertion that DEI’s policy is illegal is incorrect. , “lies” and “distractions” from solving the problems facing Texans.

They also called on the National Football League, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, and the NCAA not to hold state championships until the governor rescinds his directive to agencies and universities.

Lawmakers said Abbott’s values ​​did not reflect those of Texas and accused the governor of using people of color in a political fight with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to be the most “Trump” politician.

“We will not be complicit in his attempt to use minorities as pawns in his political game,” said Missouri Rep. Ron Reynolds, chairman of the Texas black legislature.

In a memo sent to government agencies on Feb. 6 and first published by The Texas Tribune, Abbott chief of staff Gardner Pate said diversity, fairness and inclusion policies used to select or vet job applicants are illegal and heads of government agencies have a “duty to » comply with the law. Since then, some labor and civil rights attorneys have said the governor’s office mischaracterizes anti-discrimination laws.

On Monday, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick also announced that addressing “discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion policies in higher education” is one of his top legislative priorities.

Reynolds called these priorities misguided and an appeal to the far-right base in the Republican Party.

“This is the code for the anti-black, anti-Asian, anti-LGBTQ, majority population of the state,” Reynolds said. “They punch us in the face and say you’re not welcome here anymore.”

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy is designed to provide guidance in workplaces, government agencies and college campuses on how to increase representation and create an environment that emphasizes the fair treatment of groups that have historically experienced discrimination. DEI policy may include providing resources to underrepresented groups such as people with disabilities, LGBTQ people, and veterans. In recruitment, these may include setting diversity goals or setting thresholds to ensure diversity in candidate pools.

“These offices don’t exist to be racist against white people,” said Rep. Cheryl Cole, a Democrat from Austin. “They exist to develop, affirm, engage and strengthen diverse communities because, ultimately, our diversity is our strength.”

Texas Tech University recently released a university-wide review of its hiring practices after a conservative advocacy group criticized the biology department for assessing job applicants’ commitment to diversity and inclusion efforts.

Most university and state agency leaders in Texas have largely remained silent on the letter from the governor’s office. University of Houston system chancellor Renu Hator described the letter as a “reminder” to comply with state and federal laws.

Reynolds said higher education leaders in the state are afraid to speak out on the issue, adding that he has received messages from many who have said they do not want to publicly express their concerns and praised the open caucus in support of diversity.

“They feel they will be targeted and may lose their jobs or funding,” he said.

The governor’s directive represents the latest effort by Republican leaders fighting politics and academic disciplines, which they have called the introduction of liberal politics into higher education. Pate said in his letter that the DEI policy illegally discriminates against certain demographics – though he did not specify which ones – and is illegally used to “actively promote discrimination in the workplace.”

President Lyndon B. Johnson banned employment discrimination based on race, sex, religion, and national origin under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 at a time when people of color, especially black Americans, were denied high-paying jobs and other opportunities by race .

On Tuesday, lawmakers from the Black and Mexican American groups said that as the state becomes more diverse, the workforce requires more diverse jobs and employers who understand and support those ideals.

“If we remove these opportunities by removing DEI, where will this take our economy?” said Rep. Victoria Neve Criado, D-Dallas.

Disclosure: Texas Tech University and the University of Houston provided financial support to The Texas Tribune, a non-profit, non-partisan news organization funded in part by donations from members, foundations, and corporate sponsors. Financial sponsors play no role in Tribune journalism. Find their complete list here.