In 2024, six states restricted or prohibited diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at colleges and universities.

This year, six states, including one with a Democratic governor, have prohibited or banned the implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in public colleges and universities.

The implementation of DEI in higher education has been met with opposition from Republicans and has been criticized by civil rights attorney Devon Westhill as an industry that promotes a left-wing ideology in various aspects of American life.

In 2024, several states, including Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, and Utah, either prohibited or restricted the use of such teaching in their education systems.

In January, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, signed legislation prohibiting institutions from engaging in discriminatory practices, including holding individuals responsible for past actions committed by others with the same personal identity characteristics.

The anti-DEI law prohibited schools from implementing any policy, procedure, practice, program, office, initiative, or required training that is labeled "diversity, equity, and inclusion."

In March, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed SB 129 into law, which prohibits certain DEI offices and the "promotion, endorsement, and affirmation of certain divisive concepts in certain public settings."

The bill prohibits the teaching of "divisive concepts," including the idea that individuals should feel guilty, responsible, or obligated to apologize for their race, ethnicity, religion, sex, or national origin, and the belief that meritocracy or traits such as hard work are inherently racist or sexist.

The law mandated that restrooms be used based on biological sex and allowed public universities to impose penalties for violations.

In March, Indiana passed legislation to modify the responsibilities of state educational institutions' diversity committees and enhance "intellectual diversity." Moreover, the Indiana House presented legislation to intensify the prohibition of DEI teachings in schools by mandating that educators "must not promote in any course specific ideas related to race or gender."

Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, signed legislation prohibiting postsecondary educational institutions from engaging in certain DEI-related actions into law. The bill, passed in April, imposes a $10,000 fine on any public institution that employs DEI practices in faculty hiring or student enrollment processes.

"Although I have reservations about this legislation, I maintain that the behavior addressed in this bill does not take place in our universities," Kelly stated in her bill passage.

In May, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, signed an education-funding bill that included provisions to restrict DEI in schools, following the state's board of education's decision to reduce such practices in higher education.

The bill prohibits any attempt to promote a specific, contentious viewpoint as the official stance of a public institution of higher education, which involves unconscious or implicit bias, cultural appropriation, allyship, transgender ideology, microaggressions, group marginalization, antiracism, systemic oppression, social justice, intersectionality, nee-pronouns, heteronormativity, disparate impact, gender theory, racial privilege, sexual privilege, or any related expression of these concepts.

Idaho became the latest state to allow institutions to opt out of specific structures or activities related to DEI.

The Idaho Board of Education passed a unanimous resolution in December that mandated institutions to ensure that no central offices, policies, procedures, or initiatives are centered on DEI ideology and that no employee or student is required to disclose their gender identity or preferred pronouns.

Higher education institutions in states such as Florida, Texas, and Tennessee have previously prohibited the implementation of DEI practices.