While I do not speak for my employer, I do speak as a tenured professor and emeritus faculty leader here in Utah when I say that Gov. Spencer Cox calling DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity) initiatives “bordering on evil” is completely unacceptable.
When he was on the campaign trail, he came and spoke at a large event packed with dedicated employees and leaders in the Utah system of higher education. In his keynote, he extolled the virtues of a well rounded college education and bemoaned the vile rhetoric of then President Donald Trump. But here he is engaging in the same stochastic terrorism. He’s going lock step with the likes of confirmed Deseret Nationalist and Utah Rep. Trevor Lee who is also proclaiming his intention to attack DEI initiatives this legislative session.
Look, Cox can disagree about the effectiveness or value of diversity statements. But to call my dedicated coworker’s attempts at equity in hiring “evil” is going to get someone killed. Stoking these flames and dehumanizing us is giving a green light for violence against dedicated state employees, who he is charged with supporting and protecting. If Cox wants to stay true to what he told me and hundreds of others in that speech, he needs to apologize.
Justice Morath, Salt Lake City