Overview
- Utah System of Higher Education commissioner Geoff Landward called Weber State’s list of prohibited words for an invited guest “misguided” and beyond what the law requires.
- Interim president Leslie Durham acknowledged implementation mistakes and said Weber State will work with state higher‑ed leaders to revise guidance with a more nuanced approach.
- Indigenous author Darcie Little Badger withdrew from a planned Native Symposium keynote after receiving a list barring terms such as equity, bias and intersectionality.
- HB261 bans DEI‑named offices and services targeting specific identity groups, explicitly exempts classroom teaching and research, and encourages inviting speakers to promote viewpoint diversity.
- PEN America condemned the university’s actions as censorship, and conservative group Path Forward Utah criticized the restrictions as an overcorrection that undermines open inquiry.