A federal court temporarily blocked Mississippi from enforcing a law against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices in educational institutions.
The order was issued on July 20 by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Northern Division.
Mississippi’s House Bill 1193 became effective on April 17. The law prohibits DEI activities in public schools and public postsecondary educational institutions. It bans the establishment of DEI offices, engagement in divisive concepts, consideration of diversity statements from job applicants as part of hiring, and maintenance of academic programs promoting ideologies such as DEI and transgenderism.
On June 9, a coalition of plaintiffs, including the Mississippi Association of Educators, sued state boards over the implementation of HB 1193. They argued that the law contained “viewpoint-based and content-based restrictions.”…