Hunter
03/09/23
The five-year Diversity, Equity and Inclusion action plan being implemented by University of Iowa Athletics has been publicly posted online.
The Gazette reports the DEI plan identifies fives core strategies aimed at fulfilling its commitment to foster “the advancement and respect for diversity, equity, and inclusion for all student-athletes, coaches, and staff.”
Those strategies are education; evaluation and assessment; infrastructure and sustainability; collaboration; and infusion of leadership.
The posted action plan is dated January 13th, well before the announced $4.175 million settlement with former Hawkeye football players who sued the University, Board of Regents, coaching staff and Athletic Director Gary Barta in November 2020, claiming racial discrimination and harassment.
$2 million of that settlement was to be paid with state taxpayer money. However, UI President Barbara Wilson announced Thursday morning that the school will reimburse the state for the full $2 million.
Republican House lawmakers proposed legislation earlier this week that would require a state university to reimburse the state for a settlement paid out in a case involving an employee of the school’s athletic department. The Gazette reports that the proposal has a retroactive start date to January 1st.
The requirement in the suit to hire a DEI facilitator flies in the face of another bill advancing through the state legislature that would prohibit state funds from being used to fund DEI-related spending, programming and training at the University of Iowa, ISU, and UNI.