Students Freak Out as Tennessee Votes to Defund “Office for Diversity and Inclusion”
26th April 2016
A move months in the making has finally come to fruition as both Tennessee houses have voted to defund the University of Tennessee’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion at the Knoxville location, according to Inside Higher Ed.
The office is known for its bizarre ways of promoting diversity, including warnings against Christmas parties and for encouraging the use of gender neutral pronouns. Both of which eventually had to come down after backlash, though students still supported the office.
If Thursday’s bill is signed into law, the $436,000 appropriation for the university’s office will be barred for the coming budget year, with the money being used to fund minority scholarships for engineering students.
Sounds like a much more practical use for the money — if you’re actually interested in diversity and inclusion.
Despite the funds still promoting diversity, students reacted harshly against the vote. After December’s study-in, the students on Tuesday afternoon walked out of their classes to stage a ‘die-in.’
Students walking out of class is like diners refusing to eat dessert. They’re still paying for it.
“We’re here today to show them that we care and that we demand that they change,” Clayton said about Tuesday’s event.
And the legislature has showed them that they don’t give a shit. Who’s going to win that one? The CryBullies really don’t have a lot of leverage here.