AUSTIN, Texas -- Gov. Greg Abbott's office is warning state agency and public university leaders this week that the use of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives - policies that support groups who have been historically underrepresented or discriminated against - is illegal in hiring.
The video above is from a previous story we covered on how George Floyd's death in 2021 impacted diversity in the workplace
In a memo written Monday and obtained by The Texas Tribune, Abbott's chief of staff Gardner Pate told agency leaders that using DEI policies violates federal and state employment laws, and hiring cannot be based on factors "other than merit."
Pate said DEI initiatives illegally discriminate against certain demographic groups - though he did not specify which ones he was talking about.
"The innocuous sounding notion of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) has been manipulated to push policies that expressly favor some demographic groups to the detriment of others," Pate wrote.
Diversity, equity and inclusion is a moniker used for policies developed to provide guidance in workplaces, government offices and college campuses intended to increase representation and foster an environment that emphasizes fair treatment to groups that have historically faced discrimination. DEI policies can include resources for underrepresented groups, which can include people with disabilities, LGBTQ people and veterans. In hiring, it can include setting diversity goals or setting...
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