Lexington makes changes to diversity, equity and inclusion office as DEI attacks ramp up

Yahoo

19-02-2025

The city of Lexington is giving its Officer of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion a new role as attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion ramp up.
Arthur Lucas, who has served in the position for several years, will continue to work on diversity efforts but through the human resources department, said Sally Hamilton, the city's chief administrative officer.
Lucas currently works out of Hamilton's office.
When Lucas was hired, there was debate on whether he should be placed in Hamilton's office or with human resources. Because his work is across city government it would be better if he was in human resources so his duties can also be expanded, Hamilton said.
His title will be changed to a senior administrator to better reflect the breadth of his duties, she said.
The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council took its first vote on the title change at a Tuesday work session. A final vote will likely come at its March 6 meeting.
Lucas helps the city with a lot of different initiatives. In hiring, the city doesn't give additional weight to someone who is diverse. Rather, the city makes sure everyone has the same opportunities, Hamilton said.
'For example, when we have interview panels we make sure that everyone on that panel is not all the same type of person,' Hamilton said.
Employers often hire people who look like them, Hamilton said.
Hamilton said the city is not making other major changes in light of federal and state efforts to eliminate DEI initiatives.
The University of Kentucky also voluntarily eliminated its Office of Institutional Diversity in August 2024 in light of efforts to ax DEI offices.
In one of his first acts in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order dismantling all federal DEI offices.
State legislators also have proposed bills in the Kentucky House and Senate that target DEI efforts in state universities and in local government.
Senate Bill 164, filed Thursday by Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, R-Smithfield, would block all levels of government from 'providing preferential treatment' to individuals or groups based on race, sex, color, or national origin.
It also would prohibit state and local government agencies from 'requiring or incentivizing' a person to attend a DEI training, or from allocating resources to 'establish or maintain diversity, equity and inclusion offices.'
Senate Bill 165, also filed by Tichenor, would prohibit similar DEI initiatives in Kentucky public schools.
A similar bill targeting DEI in public schools has been filed in the House.
Efforts to pass anti-DEI legislation have so far failed in the Republican-controlled General Assembly.