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OPINION (NATIONAL REVIEW) – ‘If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion.” This quote from the Supreme Court’s decision in West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette, striking down state laws mandating the Pledge of Allegiance, states a core principle of the First Amendment: The government cannot compel individuals to express loyalty or belief in political or ideological positions.
But in the University of California system, nearly every applicant for a faculty job must pass a political litmus test and effectively state their allegiance to “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) to be considered. This litmus test takes the form of a mandatory DEI statement, which vets every aspiring academic — from engineers to psychologists — on their views about issues such as affirmative action, racial affinity groups, and equity versus equality.
This may be surprising to those unacquainted with the march of DEI through America’s institutions of higher learning. This march has undermined what should be the basic function of a university — the rigorous pursuit of truth. To that end, the California Constitution promises that the University of California should be free of all “political and sectarian influence.” Universities should want the best researchers and the most capable teachers. Academics’ views on the inherently political issues surrounding DEI have nothing to do with their ability to help advance knowledge.
