Murray State students protested Kentucky House Bill 4, which targets Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in postsecondary institutions, at a rally on Friday, Feb. 28.
HB 4 passed the Kentucky House of Representatives on March 5 in a vote of 81-18. The bill now moves to the Kentucky Senate.
DEI programs are present in universities to ensure that students receive an equal opportunity at pursuing higher education, regardless of their race, sex, economic status or disabilities. Many universities have DEI Offices dedicated to making campus inclusive to all students.
Murray State does not have a DEI Office; however, it does have an Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA), intended to protect students from “discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or disability,” as stated in the IDEA Office mission statement. The office’s most notable responsibilities include providing accommodations for students with disabilities and enforcing Title IX by investigating harassment complaints and providing students and faculty with mandatory training on the prevention of sexual misconduct.
HB4 would prohibit colleges and universities from spending money on programs or resources related to DEI initiatives. University students across the state have organized rallies to protest the bill, with help from the Kentuckians for Higher Education coalition (KfHE).
Ray Horton, associate professor and member of the KfHE coalition, is one of several faculty members involved in helping organize the student-led rally and other previous endeavors to defend DEI initiatives.
“Anti-DEI legislation could have a devastating impact on me, my colleagues and my students. While bills like HB4 are harmful in many ways, the part that impacts me most directly has to do with course content and academic freedom,” Horton said. “There are significant parts of the bill, from vague definitions of ‘differential treatment’ and ‘discriminatory concept’ to prohibitions on required courses that ‘justify or promote’ a ‘discriminatory concept’ that absolutely do violate academic freedom, in a number of ways.”
Horton said due to the vague wording of the bill, the University would be more susceptible to faulty lawsuits in response to course content about “controversial” topics like racism and slavery. Such topics are seen in much of early American literature, of which Horton is a scholar.
“Even if such a lawsuit stood no chance in court, it would still be an expensive hassle for the institution, and the University would have every incentive to encourage its faculty to ‘play it safe’ and avoid controversial topics—which is exactly the opposite of what I was hired by the department of English and Philosophy to do,” Horton said.
The KfHE coalition has fought anti-DEI legislation since last year when a similar bill was introduced but ultimately did not pass. When HB4 was introduced, the coalition got to work forming connections with other major Kentucky organizations and supporting protests in several other Kentucky universities. A surge of student interest was seen in the previous DEI Awareness Day in January held on multiple campuses across the state.
“Because so many more students were getting involved, the faculty, staff and community partners on the leadership team agreed we should take a step back and have the students run with a student-centered event. And that’s how this rally—which will be happening on the campus of every single public university in Kentucky, on the same day—came together,” Horton said.
The rally, which took place in the free speech zone on campus, featured a tent filled with free snacks, souvenirs and informational pamphlets. It was adorned with handmade signs prompting student action. Several students delivered speeches explaining the purpose of DEI, addressed common misconceptions and urged other students to defend these beneficial initiatives. Informational pamphlets about HB4 and DEI were provided as well as a sign up sheet for students to express their interest in taking the protest directly to legislators in Frankfort.
Ethan Fowler, junior computer science major and media correspondent, said the goal of the rally was to inform the public about DEI and its importance. According to Fowler, legislators misconstrue the purpose of DEI initiatives and as a result, people assume they are discriminatory to those not benefited by certain programs.
Fowler said the true purpose of DEI programs is “to give disadvantaged groups a level playing field and an equal chance at higher education.” Fowler is a beneficiary of an autism endowment offered by the University that allows him to pursue his degree.
“Our campaign is really about reminding everyone on our campuses, in our communities and across Kentucky that higher education is for everyone, and that nobody benefits from these efforts to exclude or minimize diverse perspectives, whether on campus or in the classroom,” Horton said. “Specifically, with this event, we see it as an opportunity to convey an inclusive message, one of belonging and solidarity no matter who you are, where you work or what you study on Kentucky’s public university campuses.”
Students or community members wishing to get involved in the defense of DEI programs are encouraged to spread the word about the potential impacts that HB4 could have on public universities, call or email Kentucky legislators and get in contact with the KfHE coalition via Instagram (@kyforhighered) or by reaching out to someone already involved in the campaign.
