By: Diane Benjamin
If you missed yesterday’s story, read it now: https://blnnews.com/2025/08/05/bloomington-quit-celebrating-mlk-day/
Many of the leaders of this Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion event are associated with Illinois State University.
That is important to remember while reading this story: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2025-08-05/isu-to-digest-u-s-attorney-generals-message-on-unlawful-dei
ISU is figuring out how to comply with demands to end unlawful discrimination. The US Attorney General directive is included in the story, but not the email University President Aondover Tarhule sent to staff.
Wouldn’t it have been interesting to see what he said?
This is the list from the story that risks federal funding:
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How many of these items does ISU practice? If ISU wasn’t using these to discriminate there wouldn’t have been a need for Tarhule’s email.
Connect the dots. Many ISU DEI staff members are participating in the Bloomington soiree on August 26th. Is the real purpose teaching how to circumvent the non-discrimination rules without getting caught?
The private sector already knows merit must guide decisions instead of any promoting people with protected characteristics just to check boxes. Education must do the same if the goal is success.
Illinois is not on this track.
https://illinoisstate.edu/points-of-pride
Illinois State students complete their degrees on time. ISU’s retention rate remains among the highest in the nation at over 81.3 percent, and our high graduation rate (66.3 percent) is well above the national average.
66.3% is well above the national average? Is this why there is a student loan default problem? How much debt did that almost 34% accumulate before dropping out? How can the retention rate be 81.3% when only 66.3% graduate?
81.3 retention vs. 66.3 graduate not surprising. Well known that some people use going to college as an excuse to get loans (money to live on). They don’t have any desire to graduate as long as they are in school they qualify for a continued flow of money to live on vs. working!
Call it anything you want, but preferential treatment based on race, sex, or identity is against the law. Civil Rights, Title VII and Equal Protection law state this plainly and the SCOTUS has ruled on it.
JB Pritzker and Illinois Democrats are playing a political game with it hoping that the uninformed will stay uniformed by the media.
In the light of day Equity cannot cancel Equality.
…”And Gladly would He Learn and Teach.” Slogan and mission for decades at ISU. Stamped on my 1986 diploma. Now a shameful institution bowing to every left wing cause that comes along. Long time athletic director Larry Lyons got fired over Black Lives Matter. Former President Larry Deitz bowed to every whim of DEI . Just wanted to retire and collect a fat pension. ISU is now driftwood standing for very little anymore. I would not give them a nickel of support.
I spent hours last night looking for my diploma so I can burn it. No luck, will keep looking
Lyons didn’t get fired for anything. He decided to retire on his own with a fat state pension. In fact, he pretty much knuckled under to everything the ISU athletes wanted during the controversy. It did cost an ISU assistant football coach his job for standing up for his personal principles as he resigned after getting flack for his stances.
When they talk about retention, they’re referring to a student who completes their freshmen year and returns for their sophomore year.
And to answer your question, they accrue A LOT of debt.
Fun Facts
ISU Funding –
Total Federal Support: Approximately $124.4 million, combining institutional grants and student aid.
Total State Support: Roughly $126.6 million when combining appropriations and MAP grants.
Columbia University was fined 200 million over 3 years for civil rights violations for failure to protect Jewish students.
35 colleges and universities have reduced or eliminated their DEI programs.
Pritzker’s political aspirations and TDS outweigh his care for civil rights and the citizens of the state.
FYI some DEI trackers.
For universities and colleges
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1UMmMMF8mwNA5Ni39i7bcElv3XZL8DzQz24Ro0–x_0U/htmlview FREE RESOURCE: Universities Ending DEI Policies & Programs | Buildremote – Google Drive
For corporations
https://www.dei.watch/
NOTE the OTHER major BN employer is also on the COMMITTED list, (defined as “companies that have active DEI initiatives”)…