DEI Ban Passes SC House!

SCFC DEI Fight Secures Legislative Win

Last week, Republicans banded together in the SC House to prohibit anti-American indoctrination and racist mandates by passing legislation to ban Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practices in Higher Education in South Carolina.

The bill expressly prohibits differential treatment of students, staff, or faculty at state universities on the basis of DEI. Students should not get their grades docked, and employees should not be declined for a promotion, based on what group they are associated with.

The bill also prohibits mandatory diversity statements and mandatory diversity training. These practices are essentially political indoctrination litmus tests which limit the process of academic study and open discussion of ideas. They have no place in our universities.

While the bill does not regulate content that can be taught or presented in colleges, it requires all DEI-related programming to be reported to the General Assembly by October 1 of each year, along with complaints filed by students or employees. This provision will help us collect needed information to address problem points and offer more legislation in the future.

Further, the bill codifies freedom of speech on college campuses into state law, and prohibits viewpoint discrimination.

Last year, the South Carolina Freedom Caucus proposed amendments to the budget to cut taxpayer-funded DEI in our state-funded universities. Sadly, these provisions were voted down. But because of our fight, leadership promised us they would pass a bill to prohibit these dangerous ideologies this year. Thankfully, they upheld their end of the bargain, and together, Republicans were able to get a huge win for the traditional American principle of individual rights and responsibilities.

Special thanks to SCFC Secretary Josiah Magnuson (Spartanburg), Chairman Adam Morgan (Greenville), and members, April Cromer (Anderson) and Jay Kilmartin (Lexington), for stewarding this bill through the committee process and fighting to ensure the bill is as strong as possible. We are also grateful to Education Committee Chair Shannon Erickson and Rep. Tim McGinnis for coming to the table and working with us to get this bill through the House.

Now, the bill is on to the Senate. Please, call your Senator and encourage them to immediately take up this bill and pass it. As is, the bill is effective, but amendments are certainly welcome to add more teeth such as removal of funding for colleges that violate the provisions. To find your Senator, click here.

For liberty,

The South Carolina Freedom Caucus