Watchdog group exposes Idaho colleges' alleged scheme to sidestep new DEI law

Watchdog group exposes Idaho colleges’ alleged scheme to sidestep new DEI law The Goldwater Institute has requested an investigation into four Idaho universities for allegedly attempting to bypass the state’s new anti-DEI law. This law prohibits mandatory DEI courses unrelated to a student’s field of study, with limited exemptions for specific programs. The Institute claims universities are misinterpreting the law and the Idaho Board of Education’s guidance to secure exemptions for DEI-related courses in non-DEI programs.

• The Goldwater Institute has asked Idaho’s Attorney General Raul Labrador to investigate four universities for allegedly circumventing the state’s new “Freedom of Inquiry in Higher Education Act.”
• The Act, effective July, prohibits mandatory DEI courses in higher education unrelated to a student’s field of study, with exemptions for programs focused on racial, ethnic, or gender studies.
• The Goldwater Institute argues that the University of Idaho, Boise State University, Idaho State University, and Lewis-Clark State College are seeking exemptions for courses that do not meet the law’s criteria, such as an “Introduction to Inequity and Justice” course in the sociology program.
• A memorandum from the Idaho Board of Education is also questioned for allegedly misinterpreting the law to allow broader exemptions than intended.
• The watchdog group claims this practice allows for “indoctrination” and wastes taxpayer money on “left-wing activism.”
• The Idaho Board of Education stated it will cooperate with the Attorney General’s investigation.