Prof. Jill Hasday Referenced in Star Tribune Editorial About Trump’s Executive Order Against DEI Efforts

Professor Jill Hasday, Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Centennial Professor in Law, was referenced in a Star Tribune editorial discussing Donald Trump’s executive order against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts on the federal level. The editorial said, “The core purpose of DEI has always been to open up access so a larger pool of qualified people from all backgrounds can be considered for jobs, promotions, better health care, housing, etc. The goal is to do away with discrimination, not promote it. Yet, the order seeks to purge even the words diversity, equity and inclusion from the federal lexicon. How can we continue to combat historical wrongs if we cannot use the language that defines and explains solutions to past and present injustice?” The editorial went on to say how a federal prohibition of DEI may spill into the private sector: “And the order, though it applies now to federal operations, has the potential to avalanche into the private and nonprofit sectors as well. As University of Minnesota law professor Jill Hasday points out, the order can have a chilling effect on DEI efforts of companies. Included in the order, she said, was a vow to investigate and possibly sue nine companies. American businesses may respond by pulling back or ending their DEI initiatives so as not to be one of those nine. Indeed, Target appeared late last week to take deliberate steps to back off its DEI engagement efforts.”