Texas Governor says DEI hiring is illegal

 NBCFW:

Texas Governor Greg Abbott's (R) office sent out a letter to state agencies and public universities warning them to stop diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the hiring process, calling it illegal. The message is garnering opposition to it.

Last Monday, Abbott's chief of staff, Gardner Pate, sent a memo to state leaders.

"As Texans, we celebrate the diversity of our State and the presence of a workforce that represents our rich
culture. In recent years, however, the innocuous-sounding notion of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
has been manipulated to push policies that expressly favor some demographic groups to the detriment of
others," wrote Pate.

It didn't specify what groups, or what prompted the letter.

Pate goes on to state, "Indeed, rather than increasing diversity in the workplace, these DEI initiatives are having the
opposite effect and are being advanced in ways that proactively encourage discrimination in the
workplace. Illegally adding DEI requirements as a screening tool in hiring practices or using DEI as a
condition of employment leads to the exclusion and alienation of individuals from the workplace."

The letter continues with," When a state agency adjusts its employment practices based on factors other than merit, it is not following the law."

The Texas Legislative Black Caucus has been vocal against the letter and Tweeted that it plans to have a news conference at the Capitol on Tuesday to oppose the governor's, "Anti-DEI Agenda."
...

A spokesperson for the governor, Ranae Eze, said, “The letter from the Governor’s chief of staff is a reminder that state agencies and public universities must follow federal and state law in their hiring practices. Both federal and state laws make equity quotas illegal. The issue is not diversity—the issue is that equity is not equality. Here in Texas, we give people a chance to advance based on talent and merit."

"If we acknowledge the problem of racial exclusion or exclusion based on other parts of our identity that those policies are trying to solve, I think that it makes sense for people to celebrate it. You know, I find it kind of problematizes a little bit the concept of merit versus diversity, right? I think that there can be merit and diversity that exists. And there are lots of companies and universities all over that are showing that that's the case.
...

The problem with DEI is that it is raced-based hiring instead of merit-based hiring.   It is never used when people are chosen for athletic programs.  Those are solely based on the merits of the athlete.  DEI suggests that there is some benefit in choosing some people because of their race instead of their merit.  

See, also:

U Texas Prof Sues After Alleged “Campaign to Silence” Him For Criticizing University

UT Allegedly Threatens and Retaliates Against Professor Richard Lowery, UT Administration Critic and Fighter Against the University’s CRT and DEI Initiatives