Progressives constantly insist that “democracy is under threat” whenever conservatives pass laws they dislike, yet they have no problem discarding those same democratic principles when the law gets in the way of their ideological projects. The latest example comes straight out of Idaho, where four public universities—University of Idaho, Boise State, Idaho State, and Lewis‑Clark State College—are accused of maneuvering around the state’s new anti‑DEI law. The law was passed through the normal legislative process, signed, and implemented. But instead of respecting it, these institutions appear to be searching for loopholes to preserve DEI mandates that lawmakers explicitly prohibited.
According to the Goldwater Institute, the universities are applying for exemptions that the law never intended, aided by a Board of Education memo that allegedly “misinterprets” the statute to allow far broader exceptions than the legislature wrote. The law is clear: DEI‑based coursework can only be required in degree programs whose titles explicitly indicate a primary focus on race, gender, or ethnic studies. Yet universities are seeking exemptions for programs like sociology—where required courses such as “Introduction to Inequity and Justice” are being used to justify DEI mandates in fields that have nothing to do with identity studies. This is exactly the kind of bureaucratic sleight‑of‑hand that erodes public trust and signals that some institutions believe they are above the law.
This episode exposes a broader pattern: when the left cannot win the argument or the vote, it simply ignores the outcome. Everyday families and taxpayers don’t get to pick and choose which laws they follow, yet activist‑driven institutions routinely behave as if compliance is optional. Conservatives argue that the rule of law must apply equally—especially in publicly funded universities that serve the entire community, not just ideological factions. Idaho’s situation is a reminder that vigilance is necessary, because the same tactics used to undermine this law will inevitably surface elsewhere, including in places like Kane County if parents and taxpayers aren’t paying attention.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/watchdog-group-exposes-idaho-colleges-alleged-scheme-sidestep-new-dei-law
