Tribune editorial: Weber State leadership starts to understand what state DEI ban is, and isn’t

The first rule of avoiding fascism: Do not obey in advance.

Administrators at Weber State University are apparently coming around to the understanding that the Utah Legislature has not — repeat, not — banned from our public colleges all mention of such concepts as diversity, equality, inclusion, racism, bias and oppression.

Good for them. And have a little empathy for how difficult it is to run a public university in today’s political atmosphere.

Utah lawmakers did, in 2024’s HB261 tell the state’s public education institutions that they could not adopt as official policy the principles of DEI. Could not require faculty, staff and students to adhere, or pretend to adhere, to DEI ideas for the purposes of passing a class or getting a job.

Apparently, the new law struck such fear into the hearts of WSU administrators that they concocted a list of forbidden words and concepts that could not be mentioned even by teachers or guest speakers while on campus. Even though that’s not what the law says.

Under the same law that tapes shut the lips of universities as institutions, schools are encouraged to promote free speech and academic freedom.

That someone hadn’t gotten the full memo — or that it was never sent — became sadly clear when an October academic gathering planned for WSU to discuss the phenomenon of censorship on university campuses was censored, and then cancelled.

Then, in November, Native American author Darcie Little Badger backed out of a planned appearance at WSU after being told by university officials that there were words she couldn’t say. Words such as diversity, racism, bias and oppression.

As Little Badger pointed out, it’s basically impossible to honestly discuss the history, experience and literature of Indigenous peoples without those words, or at least other words that express the same concepts.

So, rather than play along with the school’s outrageous limitations, she canceled. And took the story public via social media.

Thanks to Little Badger speaking out, WSU officials made it known that they know that things are not going well on the free speech front on their campus and promised to do better. That’s good to hear.

It would be easier for WSU officials, and the people who run Utah’s other public universities, to negotiate the shoals of these misunderstandings if the lawmakers who introduced and passed HB261 would speak up about what the law really means, and doesn’t mean.

Unfortunately, key lawmakers, including the sponsor of HB261, Rep. Katy Hall, R-South Ogden, haven’t responded to requests from The Salt Lake Tribune to explain their intent.

It’s time for lawmakers to look at what they’ve done, compare it, perhaps, to what they meant to do, to either send out a more definitive message to the state’s public universities or, if necessary, amend the law.

Legislative oversight of all public institutions is appropriate. But universities worth having can’t be run if presidents, provosts and deans are so afraid of political crackdowns that they anticipate the worst, and do it.

Editorials represent the opinions of The Salt Lake Tribune editorial board, which operates independently from the newsroom.