Latest news with #OfficeofDiversityandInclusion
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Columbus to review minority, LGBTQ+ business programs amid DEI crackdown
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Columbus programs benefiting businesses owned by minorities, women, and the LGBTQ+ community are under review after federal efforts rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The city's Office of Diversity and Inclusion has long offered free business certifications that open doors to a slew of opportunities, from increased participation in city procurement and contracting to training, networking, outreach, and engagement programs. Certification also adds businesses to the city's online vendor directory, enhancing their digital presence and allowing them to market to internal buyers, public partners in other municipalities, the private sector and residents. Along with minorities, women, and the LGBTQ+ community, the office certifies businesses owned by veterans along with small and emerging companies. But recent Trump administration executive orders calling for the end of DEI have prompted a review of these programs to ensure compliance with all federal laws, a spokesperson from the office of Mayor Andrew Ginther said. Watch a previous NBC4 report on the LGBTQ+ business certification in the video player above. 'While we strongly disagree with this federal directive, we are working closely with the city attorney's office to evaluate and, if necessary, revise our policies to ensure compliance with federal law,' the spokesperson said in a statement. World's largest rubber duck to waddle into Ohio this weekend Ginther's office said, under his leadership, the programs have yielded results. Minority business participation in city of Columbus contracts has grown from 8.4% in 2016 to 19.1% in 2024, representing more than $600 million in economic impact, the spokesperson said, noting that the mayor's office takes 'pride in the fact that city investments have not only supported essential public services but have also helped minority-owned businesses grow and thrive.' The review comes after Columbus and several other central Ohio cities reaffirmed to NBC4 in February their commitment to diversity programs. A spokesperson said city council's dedication to equity and inclusion remains 'unwavering' and touted the city's Office of Diversity of Inclusion as a means to shape Columbus into 'America's Equal Opportunity City.' 'While we are continuing to study all the federal policy changes, council's priority is a Columbus where every resident feels safe and has the opportunity to thrive,' a Columbus City Council spokesperson said. 'Equity will continue to be a commitment to our residents.' The city's LGBTQ+ business certification is one of the newer programs and was launched in 2022 in collaboration with the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Ginther said in a statement then that 'by expanding equity in our programs and practices, we do the right thing by becoming a more inclusive city while driving competition, generating potential savings and improving the quality of services for our residents.' Damita Brown, Columbus' former chief diversity officer, told NBC4 in 2022 the partnership had been on the city's radar before the COVID-19 pandemic. For Columbus to grow as an attractive city for businesses to relocate and for individuals to want to raise their families, Brown said they needed these initiatives to reflect the diverse population. Brown cited a National LGBT Chamber of Commerce study that found LGBTQ-owned businesses have generated $1.7 trillion for the U.S. economy, created 33,000 jobs, and increased $2 million in annual revenue. '[Columbus] is not capturing a tremendous growth opportunity for our community,' Brown said at the time. 'So, we want to be able to say, 'We see you, we value you, and we want to partner with you to continue to make our city great.' That's why it's important.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Major university medical center accused of hiding DEI programs, influential Senator calls them out
FIRST ON FOX: Tennessee GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn sent a letter Tuesday to Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) calling on the medical school to comply with President Donald Trump's Executive Order on ending diversity, equity and inclusion programs at educational institutions. The letter comes after VUMC reportedly took steps to hide many of its DEI resources as opposed to getting rid of them, following the president's Executive Orders. Consumers Research, a conservative nonprofit that was following medical schools' responses to Trump's orders on ending DEI discovered that VUMC was taking steps to hide some of theirs behind password-protected web pages. In response to criticism, a VUMC spokesperson told Fox News Digital at the time that it was undergoing "a thorough review" of its programs to figure out "where revisions may be required to remain in compliance, including updating information on websites and other public platforms." Vanderbilt Med Center 'Hiding' Dei Resources Behind Password-protected Web Pages: Report According to an updated review, VUMC's Office of Diversity and Inclusion website remains behind a password-protected web page. Same with the DEI web page on VUMC's Department of Medicine website, resources touting "climate care is health care," and a web page for the school's "Inaugural Climate Change Action & Sustainability Summit." Other resources which had previously appeared to be hidden behind password protected web pages – rather than deleted – such as a YouTube video about "The War on DEI," appear to have been deleted since criticism over the matter was unleashed against the school. "Offices such as the Office of Health Equity, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and the Office for Diversity Affairs are seemingly still active," Blackburn said in her letter. "These offices have advocated for 'collectively addressing systemic inequities' and 'confronting structural racism.'" Among the priorities of this program, was to hire "diverse biomedical researchers," Black burn pointed out. Read On The Fox News App Blackburn also noted that VUMC was the recipient of more than $66 million this fiscal year from the National Institutes of Health – alone. Meanwhile, VUMC has invested over $17 million to support its "DEI and Belonging Program," she said. "This is only one of many examples of VUMC investing in DEI initiatives instead of lifesaving medical research," Blackburn's letter continued. "Additionally, VUMC's track record on embracing harmful woke initiatives is grim," Blackburn added. "VUMC has previously performed sex-change surgeries on minors before suspending the program after public outrage." Red State Lawmakers Warned About Allegedly Accepting 'Dei Dollars' From Hospital Association: Watchdog VUMC was investigated by Tennessee's Attorney General's Office in 2023 amid allegations that a doctor at VUMC was manipulating medical billing codes to evade insurance coverage-limitations for transgender treatments. The investigation followed a video released in 2022, which allegedly showed a VUMC doctor touting transgender surgeries for minors as "huge money makers" and telling anyone with a religious objection to providing them should quit. "President Trump has been clear on this issue. His recent executive orders correctly prohibited DEI programs at federally funded research institutions and ended the recognition of gender identity apart from biological sex," Blackburn concluded in her letter. "As a beneficiary of federal funding, VUMC has a responsibility to align with the President's executive orders and return to a focus on lifesaving research as opposed to woke DEI initiatives. Instead of covering up VUMC's DEI initiatives, I urge you to comply with President Trump's effort to responsibility allocate taxpayer dollars and immediately cease all DEI initiatives." The senator told Fox News that "discriminatory" DEI programs, such as those at VUMC, actually serve to "do more harm than good." She also urged VUMC to "put Tennesseans first" by fully complying with the president's Executive Orders. In a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday, VUMC said, "Vanderbilt University Medical Center is eliminating all DEI programs and is fully complying with Executive Actions on DEI. Shortly after the Executive Orders were issued, VUMC began removing related content on internal and external websites to reflect the termination of these programs. VUMC will continue to comply with federal mandates and directives."Original article source: Major university medical center accused of hiding DEI programs, influential Senator calls them out
Fox News
16-04-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Major university medical center accused of hiding DEI programs, influential Senator calls them out
FIRST ON FOX: Tennessee GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn sent a letter Tuesday to Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) calling on the medical school to comply with President Donald Trump's Executive Order on ending diversity, equity and inclusion programs at educational institutions. The letter comes after VUMC reportedly took steps to hide many of its DEI resources as opposed to getting rid of them, following the president's Executive Orders. Consumers Research, a conservative nonprofit that was following medical schools' responses to Trump's orders on ending DEI discovered that VUMC was taking steps to hide some of theirs behind password-protected web pages. In response to criticism, a VUMC spokesperson told Fox News Digital at the time that it was undergoing "a thorough review" of its programs to figure out "where revisions may be required to remain in compliance, including updating information on websites and other public platforms." According to an updated review, VUMC's Office of Diversity and Inclusion website remains behind a password-protected web page. Same with the DEI web page on VUMC's Department of Medicine website, resources touting "climate care is health care," and a web page for the school's "Inaugural Climate Change Action & Sustainability Summit." Other resources which had previously appeared to be hidden behind password protected web pages – rather than deleted – such as a YouTube video about "The War on DEI," appear to have been deleted since criticism over the matter was unleashed against the school. "Offices such as the Office of Health Equity, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and the Office for Diversity Affairs are seemingly still active," Blackburn said in her letter. "These offices have advocated for 'collectively addressing systemic inequities' and 'confronting structural racism.'" Among the priorities of this program, was to hire "diverse biomedical researchers," Black burn pointed out. Blackburn also noted that VUMC was the recipient of more than $66 million this fiscal year from the National Institutes of Health – alone. Meanwhile, VUMC has invested over $17 million to support its "DEI and Belonging Program," she said. "This is only one of many examples of VUMC investing in DEI initiatives instead of lifesaving medical research," Blackburn's letter continued. "Additionally, VUMC's track record on embracing harmful woke initiatives is grim," Blackburn added. "VUMC has previously performed sex-change surgeries on minors before suspending the program after public outrage." VUMC was investigated by Tennessee's Attorney General's Office in 2023 amid allegations that a doctor at VUMC was manipulating medical billing codes to evade insurance coverage-limitations for transgender treatments. The investigation followed a video released in 2022, which allegedly showed a VUMC doctor touting transgender surgeries for minors as "huge money makers" and telling anyone with a religious objection to providing them should quit. "President Trump has been clear on this issue. His recent executive orders correctly prohibited DEI programs at federally funded research institutions and ended the recognition of gender identity apart from biological sex," Blackburn concluded in her letter. "As a beneficiary of federal funding, VUMC has a responsibility to align with the President's executive orders and return to a focus on lifesaving research as opposed to woke DEI initiatives. Instead of covering up VUMC's DEI initiatives, I urge you to comply with President Trump's effort to responsibility allocate taxpayer dollars and immediately cease all DEI initiatives." The Senator told Fox News that "discriminatory" DEI programs, such as those at VUMC, actually serve to "do more harm than good." She also urged VUMC to "put Tennesseans first" by fully complying with the president's Executive Orders. In a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday, VUMC said, "Vanderbilt University Medical Center is eliminating all DEI programs and is fully complying with Executive Actions on DEI. Shortly after the Executive Orders were issued, VUMC began removing related content on internal and external websites to reflect the termination of these programs. VUMC will continue to comply with federal mandates and directives."
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio college students, educators disappointed in Gov. DeWine for signing higher ed overhaul
Members of the Ohio Student Association held a mock funeral for the death of higher education on March 31, 2025 after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill into law that will overhaul Ohio's public universities. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal). Students donning black graduation robes held a mock funeral for the death of higher education after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill into law that will overhaul the state's public universities. The Ohio Student Association organized the event, which took place Monday afternoon in the Statehouse Rotunda, days after DeWine signed Ohio Senate Bill 1. S.B. 1 will ban diversity efforts, prohibit faculty strikes, regulate classroom discussion of 'controversial' topics, create post-tenure reviews, put diversity scholarships at risk, create a retrenchment provision that block unions from negotiating on tenure, shorten university board of trustees terms from nine years down to six years, and require students take an American history course, among other things. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX For classroom discussion, the bill will set rules around topics involving 'controversial beliefs' such as climate policies, electoral politics, foreign policy, diversity and inclusion programs, immigration policy, marriage, or abortion. It prohibits professors from 'indoctrination,' and while it doesn't define that, it allows complaints to be filed against professors for review by the Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education. S.B. 1 will only affect Ohio's public universities and community colleges. 'It was really surprising, the quickness that it was signed,' said Ohio State University junior Brielle Shorter. 'I think signing it at such a time was really interesting as well, but it was truly heartbreaking.' DeWine got the bill Wednesday — the same day the Ohio Senate concurred with changes to the bill made by the Ohio House — and he signed it Friday. 'As a Black student on campus, our spaces have already been slowly getting demolished,' Shorter said. 'I believe that with this bill there's going to be more changes like that.' Ohio State University is closing its Office of Diversity and Inclusion Ohio State recently closed its Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Office of Student Life's Center for Belonging and Social Change in response to the U.S. Department of Education's Dear Colleague letter that threatened to rescind federal funds for schools that use race-conscious practices in admissions, programming, training, hiring, scholarships, and other aspects of student life. Shorter said she has seen Ohio high school students post on social media how they are no longer interested in attending Ohio universities and instead plan to go to school out of state. Scott DiMauro, president of the Ohio Education Association, said it is unfortunate DeWine signed S.B. 1 into law. 'It's disappointing to see that he did that, even though the overwhelming amount of opposition that was expressed on the bill from faculty and from students and from concerned citizens was strongly against it,' he said. 'I think it's unfortunate to see collective bargaining rights of people who work in higher education diminished.' Pranav Jani, president of Ohio State's American Association of University Professors chapter, said they will fight the impact of the bill as it becomes law. 'We know that we stand with thousands of educators, students, and parents, who are disgusted by this naked display of governmental repression of higher education,' he said in a statement. State Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, introduced S.B. 1, which took just over two months to pass both chambers and be signed into law. 'I believe this is monumentally significant legislation that will allow Ohio's public universities and community colleges to deal with looming enrollment challenges and usher in a renaissance of academic excellence,' Cirino said in a statement. Follow Capital Journal Reporter Megan Henry on Bluesky. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump ends diversity programming at the State Department
President Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order eliminating diversity programming at the State Department, wiping out the Biden administration's initiative to remove barriers to employment for underrepresented groups. Trump's order directs the State Department to remove the ''Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility' Core Precept from Foreign Service tenure and promotion criteria.' The order further directs the U.S. government to not base foreign service recruitment, hiring, promotion or retention decisions on an individual's race, color, religion, sex or national origin. 'Relevant agencies shall identify and take appropriate action regarding any Foreign Service Officer who knowingly and willfully engaged in illegal discrimination,' the order reads. The Biden administration created the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, reporting to the secretary of State, charged with increasing representation among underrepresented groups. Among the office's initiatives was creating a Demographic Baseline Report. 'The data allows the Department to assess whether its workforce reflects the rich diversity of our nation. The data is also used to examine if there are potential anomalies that may be indicative of a barrier to equal employment opportunity,' the State Department said at the time. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
