We've heard the letters d e i many times during the 2024 session in Frankfurt.

That stands for diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

And some critics of De I policies say those policies have gone too far.

At universities across the nation and they say Kentucky is no different.

A measure to scale back these efforts is advancing in the state capital.

Our Clayton Dalton has more from Frankfurt as we begin tonight's legislative update.

When it comes to D-I, Republicans on a legislative panel agreed that these programs can promote discrimination and division, particularly for students and faculty with conservative political beliefs.

State Senator and Majority Whip Mike Wilson, the sponsor of Senate Bill six, says it will protect students and faculty and their right to free speech.

Diversity of thought should be welcome in higher education.

But what we have seen is a trend across the United States forcing faculty in order to remain employed to formally endorse a set of beliefs that may be contrary to their own, all in violation of the First Amendment.

It is easy to see how diversity statements quickly become political litmus tests that required applicants to show allegiance to a particular set of politically liberal beliefs.

Wilson said that requiring discriminatory measures, as they are defined in the bill is unfair to individuals with certain ideologies.

A University of Kentucky student shared her experience of being denied from a resident advisor position and how it relates to D-I.

And we started off the interview.

Well, she was just giving me general feedback about my demeanor.

She said I'd aced every part of the interview, the customer service, the quick response times, everything I'd done great on.

Jedi UK version of the.

I was told that because I am white presenting, I probably not had to think about how I present myself, unlike other nonwhite students.

I had been told that as I didn't have experience being an other.

Her words, not mine.

I hadn't proven that I could relate to students who would be considered other.

She then went on for several minutes to tell me about how she had processed George Floyd's death and how maybe I should have said something like that in the interview.

And then she told me that maybe I should look at my current service work through the lens of DTI, because this is the natural endpoint for DCI.

Instead of just doing service work and treating everyone equally, you will look at people through the lens of race, ethnicity, sex, and then you will have to prove to UK how much you care about those categories instead of how much you care about those people as individuals, you will bend the knee to DTI if you want to work at UK.

Senate Bill six defined 16 discriminatory concepts, most of which center on sex, race and political belief.

The bill prohibits these concepts in any mandatory training or course.

But for Dr. Erin Thompson, the president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education.

DEI is about much more.

We are in a global society, educated.

I mean, the workforce are asking for more people.

They're educated and they're asking for people that know how to deal in that global society with other people.

So DEI for us and how we implement it also includes not just underrepresented minorities, that includes low income.

We include we have got learners and a variety of other folks that in fact may need those extra equitable assistance items to get where they need to go.

One change that was approved in committee was removing the ability for students and faculty to sue universities over violating the bill's defined discriminatory concepts.

It now allows the Attorney General to bring a civil case for these violations.

The bill passed out of committee along party lines and heads to the Senate floor.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Clayton Dalton.

Kentucky's 2024 high School Teacher of the Year, testified against the bill today, calling it anti-black.