PHX Reporter

In a significant legal move, the Goldwater Institute has filed a lawsuit against Arizona State University (ASU) on behalf of Dr. Owen Anderson, a respected professor at the institution who has refused to participate in mandatory diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training. In the filing, Goldwater argues that ASU's DEI training violates state law, which prohibits the use of taxpayer funds to enforce discriminatory doctrines based on race, ethnicity, sex and other characteristics. 

The lawsuit stems from ASU's mandate that requires faculty to undergo DEI training, which Anderson refuses to participate in due to ideological disagreements.

Anderson, who has been teaching philosophy and religious studies at ASU for over two decades, said that the training promotes racism under the guise of DEI, and that being coerced into participating goes against his conscience and principles.

“We are looking at dismantling DEI across the board,” Joe Seyton, communications manager for the Goldwater Institute, told PHX Reporter.

The Goldwater Institute filed the suit a year and a half after Anderson refused to sign a DEI pledge, which, according to Seyton, is a form of discrimination in itself.

“We are suing on behalf of Dr. Anderson and any others like him who may be forced to sign,” Seyton said.

“We think it is out of bounds for the government to be involved in DEI training,” he said.

He also noted the Goldwater Institute’s work in crafting legislation in Texas that bans DEI programming. Florida also passed its own legislation banning the use of DEI practices in public education.

ASU's training reportedly includes teachings on topics such as the normalization of white supremacy, critique of whiteness, white privilege, and white fragility, raising concerns about the infringement of free speech protections guaranteed by the Arizona Constitution. 

Furthermore, the lawsuit underscores ASU's broader initiative to infuse DEI into various aspects of campus life, including mandatory training for faculty and students alike. 

The Goldwater Institute has been at the forefront of challenging such practices nationwide, aiming to dismantle discriminatory policies and ensure that taxpayer-funded institutions uphold principles of equality and free speech.

“A new Goldwater report revealed that ASU is requiring its journalism students to take a mandatory course that teaches them to avoid “microaggressions” and check their ‘privilege,’” the Goldwater Institute said in a blog post.