A conservative think tank is asking Idaho’s attorney general to investigate whether public colleges and universities are skirting the state’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion-based coursework.
The Goldwater Institute sent a letter last week to Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador requesting an investigation into alleged violations at Boise State University, Idaho State University, the University of Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College.
Idaho’s DEI ban, which took effect in July, allows required DEI-related courses only in majors that explicitly reference race or ethnicity in their titles, such as women’s studies. However, the state Board of Education issued guidance that the institute says effectively weakens the law.
Under the board’s guidance, only courses in which 90% or more of the content is focused on DEI are subject to the ban. The guidance also allows exceptions based on course descriptions rather than course titles, significantly expanding the number of majors permitted to require DEI-related coursework.
