In recent weeks, President Trump and Republicans in the state and federal government have proposed multiple pieces of legislation that would ban valuable DEIA-associated programs(1,2,3). On the federal level, this has so far included executive order 14173, and on the Ohio state level, this has included Senate bill 1 and House bill 6.

The effects of these bills, as proposed, would present a drastic threat to higher education. The clear, intended consequences of them include, but are not limited to:

• Removing the ability of university faculty to collectively bargain or strike
• Disbanding DEIA-associated programs including but not limited to the African American Culture & Resource Center, the Office of Equity and Inclusion, the LGBTQ Center, the Transitions program, the Office of Ethnic Programs and Services, and numerous scholarships for minority students
• Threatening the existence of DEIA-associated student ‘affinity’ groups including but not limited to the Arab Student Association, the Asian American Association, Black Women in Pre-Law, and many more
• Severely diminishing the quality of education by eliminating conversation and education related to so-called ‘controversial topics,’ including climate policies, electoral politics, foreign policy, diversity equity and inclusion programs, immigration police, marriage, and abortion(3)
• Giving state and federal governments wide-ranging control over student and faculty freedom of speech
• Eliminating many degree programs offered by Ohio colleges and universities
• Mandating invasive faculty evaluations
   

        DEIA programs have been shown, scientifically, to have immense positive impacts on the education of all students at universities that employ them(6). 

        Despite the fact that House Bill 6 and Senate Bill 1 are not yet enacted pieces of legislation, and despite the fact that President Trump’s relevant executive orders are being fought in court by multiple University-related associations(5), President Pinto and the administrators of the University of Cincinnati have decided to preemptively cooperate with the agenda of all of these acts. In doing so, the University of Cincinnati has effectively given these unpopular(4), unconstitutional, and dangerous acts the force of law, without any valid legal authority.

        The purpose of this open letter is to condemn the actions of the University of Cincinnati administrators in upholding the dangerous and irresponsible actions of President Trump and state and federal legislators, and to demand that steps taken by the University to comply be reversed, and that no further actions are taken to cooperate with these harmful pieces of legislation without their being enacted into law and decided upon by the courts.

References:

Executive Order: Ending Illegal Discrimination And Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity
 

House Bill 6: https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/legislation/hb6/00_IN/pdf/
 

Senate Bill 1: https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/legislation/sb1/02_PS/pdf/
 

Unpopularity of SB1 HB6: https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2025/02/11/more-than-800-people-submit-testimony-against-ohios-massive-higher-education-overhaul-bill/
Lawsuit AAUP v. Trump over executive orders: https://democracyforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/NADOHE-et-al-Anti-DEIA-EO-Challenge.pdf
University of Southern California: About DEI On College Campuses