Concerns over the continuation of DEI programs in Texas public universities prompted Governor Abbott, on Thursday, to appoint Brandon Simmons as Director of Institutional Policy And Oversight. The Office serves as an intermediary among the state’s institutions of higher education, the legislature, and the public regarding institutional governance and student success and is also responsible for financial compliance, data reporting, and oversight functions.
Attorney, Michael Wynne, joined AM 740 to talk about the implications of Abbott’s choice. Michael stated, “ I think this is a good first step if you really want to police this, because somebody has to investigate. Because if they don’t, it will just continue.”
Michael went on to explain; Simmons is a great choice. He is an ombudsman, educated at Berkeley and Stanford Law School. He’s a venture capitalist and corporate lawyer, far from a hotbed of conservatism, and we have plenty of them (ombudsmen) throughout the state and insurance and other areas of law, health care. He serves as an intermediary between the public and the government, helps avoid a slew of lawsuits, but can provide information on what’s permissible and what’s not permissible.
Michael added, “This is provided for in the underlying legislation last year. It’s not a new development. The governor has taken a non-political person to implement and oversee this matter. That’s a rare thing these days.”
This is provided for in the underlying legislation last year. It’s not a new development. The governor has taken a non-political person to implement and oversee this matter. That’s a rare thing these days.
How Will The Process Work?
Michael explained, “Let’s say he gets a complaint, he investigates the complaint, he finds the complaint is legitimate. What happens next, Okay, a further investigation. They’re subject to a fine and are required to remedy the situation within a certain reasonable period of time, possibly six months.”
It’s important to bear in mind that Texas has several leading top tier universities in the country. We didn’t get there by micromanagement of curriculum. These matters can still be taught. Universities can still consider them in recruitment. But what’s gone is the MANDATORY training and merit.
KTRH reporter Jimmy Barrett stated that we’re going back to merit-based selection of leaders and administrators in our public school systems. There will be corrective action taken and defined suspension of state funds if you don’t follow the law. Okay, fair enough. At the end of the day, it sounds like what you’re saying though, is that fundamentally this doesn’t really change higher education in Texas’s. Changing the required curriculum is not going to prevent people from taking these types of courses. It’s just that nobody is going to be forced to take them anymore.
Michael responded, “That’s correct. And then also in the administration, who gets hired, who doesn’t, who gets admitted to the schools and who doesn’t. Those kinds of decisions are going to go back to what they should be, which is merits based instead of forcing DEI training on everyone or mandatory videos and such you have to watch in order to keep your jobs. So many states are doing this, but Texas is taking the lead, and actually providing ….. an intermediary to help explain the law to universities students who have questions.