California college professors file lawsuit against state DEI requirements.
Six California College Professors Challenge DEIA Requirements in Lawsuit
Six California college professors are taking a stand against diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) requirements imposed by the state. They argue that these requirements force them to adopt the government’s perspective on politically charged topics.
The professors, who teach at three Fresno-area community colleges, have enlisted the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) to represent them in a federal lawsuit. They claim that the DEIA requirements violate their constitutional rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments.
One of the professors, Bill Blanken from Reedley College, questions how he can incorporate DEIA into his chemistry instruction. He humorously asks, “What’s the ‘anti-racist’ perspective on the atomic mass of boron?”
The lawsuit highlights Blanken’s belief that DEIA principles should not be integrated into his chemistry classes, as he considers it pedagogically unsound and disruptive.
The other professors involved in the suit are James Druley, David Richardson, Linda de Morales, Loren Palsgaard of Madera Community College, and Michael Stannard of Clovis Community College. They are suing California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian, the State Board of Governors, and State Center Community College.
The professors fear facing disciplinary action or termination if they do not comply with California community college DEIA requirements.
- Professors must develop an understanding of the intersectionality of social identities and the various forms of oppression faced by different racial, ethnic, and minoritized groups.
- They are directed to teach from a collectivism perspective and a social justice lens.
“These regulations are a totalitarian triple-whammy,” says FIRE attorney Daniel Ortner. “The government is forcing professors to teach and preach a politicized viewpoint they do not share, imposing incomprehensible guidelines, and threatening punishment for crossing an arbitrary, indiscernible line.”
The glossary of DEIA terms provided by California reveals that the guidelines aim to promote specific ideological beliefs, according to FIRE.
The definition of anti-racist states that individuals are either anti-racist or racist, and those who claim to be “not a racist” are in denial of existing inequities and racial problems.
The glossary also suggests that the concept of “merit” is associated with “whiteness,” protecting white privilege under the guise of standards and hindering opportunities for racial minorities.
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