Texas Gov. Greg Abbott calls for end to diversity hiring practices at state agencies

Gov. Greg Abbott’s office is cautioning state agencies and public universities against using diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in hiring, claiming that doing so runs afoul of federal law, according to a memo obtained by the American-Statesman.

Gardner Pate, Abbott’s chief of staff, wrote in the Feb. 4 memo that it’s “inconsistent with the law” for state agencies to fund diversity, equity and inclusion positions with taxpayer money. He said using such initiatives as an employment screening tool violates employment laws and leads to the “alienation of individuals from the workplace.”

Michael Green, director of the Workplace Law Program at Texas A&M University, however, said that while there might be some specific instances of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives causing problems for certain groups, those policies are about providing fairness for everyone.

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“There's nothing illegal about making sure you have a diverse, equitable and inclusive approach and practices in your organization when dealing with hiring selection processes,” Green told the Statesman.

“Having diversity, equity initiatives on its face, to seek such fairness, there's nothing illegal about that,” he said.

Many colleges and universities across the country offer or plan to offer diversity studies programs based on a growing demand for diversity, equity and inclusion experts in the workforce — including Texas State University, which offers a minor in diversity studies.

The memo from Abbott’s office, first reported by the Texas Tribune, continues a push to the political right by conservative government officials seeking to restrict race-related policies and academic instruction. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is widely seen as a potential front-runner in the 2024 GOP primary for president, announced last month a plan to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs at public universities in his state.

In Texas, state Rep. Carl Tepper, R-Lubbock, filed a bill in December to prohibit funding to colleges and universities for any office of diversity, equity and inclusion. The bill has not yet been taken up by a House committee for review.

Executive coach and diversity, equity and inclusion expert James Rodgers said politicians, like Abbott and DeSantis, are responding to a false narrative about what such initiatives mean.

“Diversity is not to support any particular dimension of diversity,” Rodgers said. “It is for everyone.”

Pate told state agency leaders in his memo that hiring cannot be based on factors “other than merit.”

“Both federal and state law make equity quotas illegal. Equity is not equality,” Renae Eze, a spokeswoman for Abbott, told the Statesman in an email. “Here in Texas, we give people a chance to advance based on talent and merit. Aspiring to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream, we should not be judged by the color of our skin, but by the content of our character.”

But for Rodgers, the executive coach, diversity, equity and inclusion in hiring means consciously employing the best candidate by developing a skill set that allows employers to see value in candidates even when they are different than expected.

“Hiring in a country where a multicultural, diverse population is the norm means that you have to be conscious of hiring for the best and not just hiring for the best in one bucket,” Rodgers said.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: DEI: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says no to considering diversity in hiring