Butler University has suspended its Social Justice and Diversity (SJD) core course requirement effective July 24, 2025, amid legal scrutiny from Indiana’s Attorney General and shifting federal guidelines. The move preserves state and federal funding eligibility while still offering SJD courses as non‑mandatory electives.
Butler stated that the change aims to align with evolving legal guidance without abandoning its mission of access and inclusive education. Officials insisted SJD classes will remain available for students choosing those topics.
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita previously challenged Butler’s DEI policies and demanded responses on whether such programs complied with civil rights laws. Butler’s suspension of the requirement followed Rokita’s office warning that even well‑intentioned DEI initiatives might violate federal rules.
Butler’s SJD requirement was introduced for new students in fall 2020 after faculty approval in 2017. Students could satisfy the mandate through one of dozens of courses addressing equity, identity, or systemic injustice, such as “Native American Cultures” or “Agriculture and Food Justice”.
Butler leadership emphasized inclusion efforts will continue through its Division of DEISA, urging ongoing dialogue and transparency. Student Government representatives stated that exposure to diverse perspectives remains essential to academic growth, even without a required SJD unit.
Critics expressed concern over governance process: faculty senate was reportedly not consulted in the decision. Terri Carney, former SJD director, warned this could be the first step toward dismantling broader DEI programs, labeling the change “a rollback of the Civil Rights Movement.” She urged the university to uphold its founding abolitionist values instead of yielding to administrative pressure.
The suspension reflects a broader national trend: universities under conservative state and federal pressure are re-evaluating equity and identity mandates. Similar adjustments have occurred in North Carolina public schools and Iowa’s regents system over DEI and CRT requirements.
