An Arizona State University professor has instigated legal action against the institution over a mandatory diversity training program, describing it as a form of "compelled speech" that assigns blame based on race, thereby violating state law. Owen Anderson, who has devoted 21 years to teaching philosophy and religious studies at ASU, is being backed by the conservative Goldwater Institute in his lawsuit. "I looked at the material, and it was very objectionable," Anderson told Fox News Digital. "This was specifically about dividing people into races and then placing blame on them depending on their skin color and that's a direct violation of an Arizona law, and I think it's also the essence of racism," he said.
According to the Goldwater Institute, the professor might face disciplinary actions for his refusal to comply with the "Inclusive Communities" course requirements at ASU. The training is said to cover topics such as white supremacy's role in society, the connection between sexual identity and power, and suggests that common questions about a person's origin or hair can be deemed racist. Anderson claims he objects to the mandatory quizzes which, "require you to put down an answer that implies you agree with the content," in a statement obtained by Fox News.
The suit, filed with the assistance of Goldwater attorney Stacy Skankey, posits that these requirements fly in the face of the Arizona Constitution's free speech protections. Skankey argues that "ASU is essentially forcing its employees to agree to a certain type of speech," which is constitutionally impermissible. While ASU maintains that its training aims to promote an environment of respect for diverse backgrounds and beliefs, an ASU spokesperson has responded to the lawsuit, claiming that the allegations by the Goldwater Institute are without merit and misrepresent the university's commitment to inclusivity.
In the build-up to the lawsuit, the Goldwater Institute issued a separate report accusing ASU's Cronkite School of imposing political indoctrination on students through its "Diversity and Civility at Cronkite" course. The training allegedly brands traditional American rhetoric about a "melting pot" as a racial microaggression and critiques phrases that promote meritocracy. This has raised further concerns about DEI ideology influencing the curriculum, with Goldwater's report finding that more than 100 classes offered during the Spring 2024 semester included DEI terminology or fulfilled their diversity requirement for undergraduates.
Last year, however, the Arizona university system, which includes ASU, University of Arizona, and Northern Arizona University, decided to cease the use of DEI statements in their hiring practices, joining other states like Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina in this trend. The elimination of this requirement was seen as a step away from enforcing rigid allegiance to 'diversity' and a move toward political neutrality in academia, an issue Professor Anderson highlighted as critically significant, considering the role of state universities in providing quality education without ideological bias.
