"UT Austin Implements Mass Layoffs in Response to Texas DEI Ban"

The University of Texas at Austin has fired dozens of employees working in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs to comply with a new Texas state law that dissolved DEI institutions at public colleges and universities. The law prohibits the establishment and maintenance of DEI offices and the use of "DEI Statements," prompting the university to dissolve its Division of Campus and Community Engagement and eliminate 60 related positions. The university president stated that student-facing jobs would remain, and laid-off employees could apply for other positions at the university. The law also impacts cultural graduations, and non-compliance could result in funding loss.