Louisiana Governor Calls for Expanded DEI Probes
The Governor of Louisiana has called on the U.S. Department of Education to broaden its investigations into DEI programs on college campuses. This political intervention increases compliance pressure on higher education institutions nationwide. The move encourages universities to seek solutions that can document and audit compliance with a wide range of civil rights obligations.
- The call for a broader investigation was made by Louisiana's Republican Governor, Jeff Landry, on February 23, 2026, in a formal request to the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. - This request seeks to expand an existing federal civil rights investigation that was initially focused on the Louisiana Board of Regents. - The original investigation into the Board of Regents is examining whether its Master Plan for higher education violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by allegedly promoting racially-exclusionary practices. - Specifically, the Board of Regents' budgets for fiscal years 2021-2022 and 2025-2026 included performance objectives that directed institutions to prioritize students of "all races other than white [and] Asian." - While Governor Landry is pushing for this federal probe, Louisiana does not currently have a state law banning DEI initiatives in higher education, unlike a growing number of other conservative-led states. - There is, however, related legislation in the state. House Bill 685, sponsored by Rep. Emily Chenevert (R-Baton Rouge), which seeks to ban DEI practices in state government and restrict certain race- and gender-related curricula in colleges, has already passed the Louisiana House. - Nationally, as of July 2025, 14 states have enacted 20 laws targeting DEI in higher education, with common provisions including the elimination of DEI offices, bans on mandatory diversity training, and prohibitions on diversity statements in hiring. - Governor Landry has been explicit in his stance, stating, "Louisiana is done with woke DEI policies," and has directed state agencies to abolish all DEI positions and performance requirements.
