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

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.”

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