Gov. Cox wasn’t disagreeing better when he went after college DEI hiring practices, Utah Democrats say
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Utah Democratic Party officials say Gov. Spencer Cox failed to disagree better this week when he attacked diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs at state colleges and universities.
The governor is the face of a National Governors Association initiative called Disagree Better that aims to raise awareness about ways Americans can have thoughtful conversations with their families, friends and colleagues on difficult subjects.
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Darlene McDonald, national committee member for the Utah Democratic Party, said the governor failed to do that Wednesday when he alleged that prospective university employees had to sign “diversity statements” before being hired.
In his monthly press conference with reporters, the governor called such purported diversity statements “awful, bordering on evil,” while asserting that he believes DEI initiatives can often backfire, fomenting division instead of inclusivity.
McDonald said that such a statement from the governor was “very hypocritical,” noting that instead of conducting a thoughtful conversation on the topic, the governor chose to listen to the most extreme voices in his party.
“Absolutely a political move on Gov. Cox’s part,” she said. “I have never heard him speak so divisively about state public employees. When you say ‘this is bordering evil,’ you are talking about state employees.”
In a statement, the Utah Democratic Party said it questioned which specific policies the governor was attacking during Wednesday’s press conference, as it wasn’t clear which college’s or university’s hiring process he was talking about.
Yet, in his statement Wednesday, the governor said that he would work to ban such “diversity statements” in state colleges and universities in the upcoming legislative session.
DEI initiatives became common in American universities and corporations following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, which sparked protests, riots and a racial reckoning across the country.
In Utah, many lawmakers, including then governor-elect Cox, signed the Utah Compact on Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, which committed leaders to a number of actions to create greater opportunities for people of color and more equal access to education, housing and health care.
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