Governor Jeff Landry is asking the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to expand its current investigation into the Louisiana Board of Regents over its DEI targets to include all universities in the state.
Landry said the request is to ensure that all schools are in full compliance with federal laws.
“Let me be clear: Louisiana is done with woke DEI policies. Discrimination against ANY student will not be tolerated,” Landry said Monday. “This issue began under the previous administration, and we are fixing it.”
According to Landry’s letter, the Office for
Civil Rights informed the Board of Regents that it has initiated an investigation to “determine whether the Board discriminates against white and Asian students in recruitment and enrollment” in its Master plan for Higher Education. The investigation will determine if the master plan violates a portion of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by allowing racially exclusionary practices and initiatives, according to WBRZ.While Landry is calling for the Office for Civil Rights to expand its investigation to include all public universities, he doesn’t specify which higher learning institutions to include. The
Louisiana Board of Regents oversees the four primary public university systems in the state: Louisiana State University, Southern University, the University of Louisiana, and the Louisiana Community and Technical College System.Reports of Alleged Discrimination at Louisiana Universities From DEI Policies
In the Board of Regents’ budgets for the 2021-2022 and 2025-2026 fiscal years, the board reportedly included performance objectives requiring schools to prioritize students of “all races other than white [and] Asian,” according to public records. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, however, prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in education programs and activities that receive federal funding.
“It is vital to discover if any institution in this state is engaged in practices contrary to federal law and policies,” Landry wrote. “My administration stands ready to assist you in any way possible to ensure all Louisiana citizens have access to higher education, in accordance with all applicable laws and policies.”
In 2025, legislation advanced through the Louisiana House of Representatives that would ban DEI programs in state agencies and prohibit universities from teaching critical race theory, white fragility, white guilt, systemic racism, allyship, and more, The Advocate
reported. Members of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus called the legislation the “most racially offensive piece of legislation” that they’ve had to debate.The bill died in the State Senate.
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