University of Kansas (KU) officials have directed all employees—including student workers—to remove personal pronouns such as “he/him,” “she/her,” or “they/them” from email signatures, webpages, and virtual meeting IDs by July 31, 2025, in compliance with a Kansas Board of Regents directive tied to a new legislative budget provision.
The latest directive stems from Senate Bill 125, passed by the Kansas Legislature and signed into law earlier this year. It requires state agencies and universities to eliminate DEI programs, training, policies, and to remove gender-identifying pronouns or references to gender ideology in all official communications.
KU Chancellor Douglas Girod, joined by Provost Barbara Bichelmeyer and KU Medical Center leader Steve Stites, issued the mandate on July 22, 2025, emphasizing state compliance and the potential risk to university funding.
University leaders interpret guidance from the Regents’ general counsel memo of June 18 as a binding directive rather than optional policy. That memo explicitly instructed universities to carry out five measures, including removing pronouns from communications.
Student and faculty groups voiced opposition. Faculty leaders plan to discuss the policy in the fall to assess its impact on campus inclusivity. Students criticized the move, calling it a harmful rollback of support for LGBTQ+ communities. One law professor stressed that listing pronouns signals safety and inclusion for non‑binary and transgender individuals.
Legal experts from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and the ACLU of Kansas flagged serious First Amendment concerns. They argue the directive likely compels or prohibits speech in violation of constitutional protections, noting current case law does not directly address pronouns in official signature lines.
Originally, lawmakers proposed tying $4 million in funding to DEI compliance. That provision was removed before final approval, meaning no direct financial penalties are imposed if institutions fail to comply. However, KU is nonetheless enforcing the policy strictly under the Regents’ instructions. Supervisors must monitor compliance and report non‑compliant employees to human resources.
Despite the lack of immediate budget repercussions, KU clarifies that refusal to comply could risk broader consequences tied to state funding integrity. The policy addresses a broader push to dismantle diversity initiatives across Kansas public universities as part of a conservative policy realignment.
