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UT Austin lays off dozens who worked in DEI roles, citing new state law

April 3, 2024 at 4:25 p.m. EDT
The University of Texas at Austin is laying off dozens of employees who previously worked in DEI roles in response to a state law that banned such programs. (iStock)
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The University of Texas at Austin is laying off dozens of employees who previously worked in diversity, equity and inclusion roles in response to a state law that banned such programs, according to the Texas chapter of the American Association of University Professors.

Employees who had previously worked in DEI roles received layoff notices Tuesday. That came months after the university had reassigned them from those positions to comply with the legislation, which went into effect Jan. 1. The school declined to provide a specific tally of the number of people affected, though the AAUP said 60 is a “conservative estimate.”