Protect IU will hold a press conference Tuesday at 1:00 pm at the Rose Well House entitled "Dismantling IU: Whitten's Attacks on Diversity, Student Support, and the Free Press." In the last two weeks, the Indiana University administration has shuttered the Intensive Freshman Seminar, the $30 million Diversity Initiative and fired the two top leaders of Indiana Public Media under questionable circumstances.

With word that further DEI closures may be imminent, faculty, staff and students are deeply afraid that this President and her staff intend to follow the example of other state universities. The University of Florida, where the Governor gleefully gloated after firing 28 DEI employees. The University of Kentucky, where the university proactively fired DEI employees and closed DEI programs even after DEI legislation was rejected by the state legislature. The University of Texas at Austin, where both current and former DEI employees were hunted down and terminated.

Sadly, President Whitten seems to be preparing to take Indiana University down that same path. On September 1st, the Whitten Administration submitted a required report to the state legislature, detailing DEI expenses, numbers of staff, and descriptions of all DEI initiatives. This is the exact information that the administration will need to begin a Texas-style DEI witch-hunt.

There continues to be widespread resistance across the Indiana University Bloomington campus to these efforts to cancel diversity and free speech. Hundreds have gathered at Sample Gates every Sunday night, despite fear of IU's arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement for violation of the expressive activity policy.* Over 200 faculty signed a petition that led to the consideration by the Bloomington Faculty Council of SEA 202 implementation. Over 1000 students, faculty and community members have signed onto a change.org petition urging the administration to reconsider its termination of the nationally recognized Intensive Freshman Seminar.

On Tuesday at 1:30, representatives of various campus groups organizing against these attacks will gather at Rose Well House to provide details of the unfolding dismantling of Indiana University programs. And describe how the faculty, staff, and students of IU intend to persist in resisting the assaults of the Whitten Administration on diversity, academic freedom, and constitutional liberties.

* Of hundreds who have attended the candlelight vigil in its first 6 weeks, only 21 have been sanctioned. Staff received threats of certain termination for further violation of UA 10, far more severe than faculty sanctions. Of the first seven faculty sanctioned, two were Jewish professors, one a Muslim professor, one a faculty of color and one a Black PhD student.