Diversity Statements Violate First Amendment, Professor Says in Suing U. of California

By Adrienne Lu May 19, 2023 1 min read

By Adrienne Lu
Chronicle of Higher Education

Excerpt: A former psychology professor this week sued the University of California system, claiming that its use of diversity statements in hiring represents “a thinly veiled attempt to ensure dogmatic conformity throughout the university system.”

John D. Haltigan, a former assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, sought to apply for a tenure-track position at the University of California at Santa Cruz that was posted last July and remains open. Haltigan argues in the lawsuit that Santa Cruz uses diversity statements to screen out job applicants who do not hold specific views, “including the view that treating individuals differently based on their race or sex is desirable.”

Click here for link to full article

Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.


Also in National Free Speech News & Commentary

A National Call to Action to University Presidents and Governing Boards
A National Call to Action to University Presidents and Governing Boards

Linda E. McMahon, Secretary of Education  August 06, 2026 1 min read

For the good of the Nation, university leadership must seize this occasion to drive essential reforms—a process some began by adopting positions of institutional neutrality and improving policies related to campus protests. Before the end of 2026, I call on every postsecondary institution to describe to the American public your commitments to rigorous teaching, pathbreaking research, and national service—commitments that make our universities a bedrock institution of the American republic.

Read More
New Compact Shows Resistance Works, but Fight for Higher Ed Isn’t Over
New Compact Shows Resistance Works, but Fight for Higher Ed Isn’t Over

Todd Wolfson and Randi Weingarten August 06, 2026 1 min read

Now the administration is back with Compact 2.0, formally titled "A National Call to Action to University Presidents and Governing Boards." It includes some rhetorical flourishes intended to make it seem less threatening to teaching, learning and research. But make no mistake: It once again asks colleges and universities to align themselves with a far-right agenda at the expense of students’ education and the public’s well-being.

Read More
‘Radical Reform’: Trump Official Explains New Plan to Get Colleges to Change
‘Radical Reform’: Trump Official Explains New Plan to Get Colleges to Change

Francie Diep  August 06, 2026 1 min read

Read More