Oklahoma is taking bold steps to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in higher education.
Senate Bill 796, recently advanced by the Oklahoma House Postsecondary Education Committee in a 4–2 vote, seeks to prohibit public universities from implementing DEI programs that “grant preferential treatment based on one person’s particular race, color, ethnicity, or national origin over another’s.” The bill already passed the state Senate overwhelmingly, 39–8, in March.
The legislation directly targets and dismantle policies and programs that push racial preferences, require DEI statements in hiring, or force students and faculty to use or declare pronouns. It would also prohibit any training that involves racial favoritism.
Representative Denise Crosswhite Hader, a sponsor of the bill, criticized the burden DEI places on students, saying, “We don’t want to run away from teaching difficult subjects, but what we’re seeing is students… having a whole other topic that they’re having to study, taking out student loans, taking a longer time in college.”
The bill reaffirms constitutional protections for speech and academic freedom, clarifying that it will not interfere with “civil discourse, debate, or speech that is protected by the First Amendment,” nor will it affect scholarly research or registered student organizations.
This move is part of a growing national pushback against what many see as divisive and ideological programming on college campuses. In the wake of President Trump’s anti-DEI executive order, institutions like the University of Oklahoma have already begun scaling back. OU even renamed its DEI division to the “Division of Access and Opportunity” to reflect a broader, more inclusive mission that doesn’t rely on racial quotas or ideological litmus tests.
Oklahoma’s lawmakers are sending a clear message: merit, free speech, and academic excellence—not identity politics—should be the foundation of higher education.
