DEI probe is about control, not education

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird is preparing to investigate the University of Iowa for failing to destroy all remnants of DEI on campus, as ordered by the Legislature and its allies on the Board of Regents.

Bird is vowing a thorough investigation after two university staffers were caught on undercover video describing how they operate around a ban on diversity, equity and inclusion programs and policies on state university campuses.

Bird pledged at a fundraiser last week that her probe will “pull that curtain back and get some sunlight” on the University of Iowa.

“Instead of changing and following the law, according to the video, it looks like they just renamed it and just kept on doing what they wanted to do in the first place and are aware of it,” Bird said. “So, we have launched an investigation. We’re going to get to the bottom of it.”

In Bird’s eyes, it seems this isn’t about two allegedly disobedient staffers. Her rhetoric indicates Bird sees this as a campuswide effort to undermine a law that attempts to erase all traces of DEI, including any effort to provide help to students from historically marginalized groups who may need support to succeed.

Republicans argue DEI gets in the way of student success based solely on “merit.” Somehow, people who received DEI support didn’t really earn their success. It’s hogwash mixed with our poisonous culture war politics.

These types of sting operations often come from politically motivated activist groups. Instead of opening a campuswide witch hunt, Bird should obtain the full, unedited videos of the two employees and the identities of those who did the taping. Without that, all we have are clearly edited videos appearing on Fox News, hardly a paragon of fairness.

That’s the minimum evidence needed to determine what the employees said, the context, and what was left on the cutting room floor.

But early signs are that this will provide an opportunity for Bird and Republicans to confront the university community, with all the usual political benefits for Republicans that come from trashing Iowa City liberals.

But if Bird is going to shine a light on UI, we hope Republicans’ lousy law also draws some glare.

Republicans and their regents’ allies are trying to outlaw ideas on campus, which is unacceptable, un-American, and futile, because ideas don’t die easily.

Universities are still about mentoring, inclusive curriculum, first-gen student support, along with support networks for those with disabilities. Those are items they can and should continue without using DEI language.

Free speech is being trampled under these laws. University personnel have been told to scrub all online evidence of DEI and must watch what they say. Any law that relies on fear for gaining compliance should never see the light of day in Iowa.

Universities are supposed to be places where ideas, even controversial ones, are exposed, not silenced by fear of political retribution.

UI officials have tried to do what the Legislature and regents have demanded. Now they’ll allow Bird to investigate.

As Bird said, “our taxpayer-funded universities are supposed to be about education, not indoctrination.” We would fully agree if it weren’t so obvious that Republicans want universities to conform to their ideology. This is about control, not education.

(319) 398-8262; todd.dorman@thegazette, com