June 15 (Reuters) - All state-funded colleges and universities in Texas will have to close their diversity, equity and inclusion offices under a measure signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
Under the Texas law, signed by Abbott on Wednesday, any public college or university that does not certify it is in compliance with the measure would not be able to spend state funds allocated to it.
But Paulette Granberry Russell, president of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, said in a statement that the bill's signature marked a "sad occasion for all students at Texas' public universities."
She said all students, regardless of race, benefit from having a diverse student body, and that her organization would not stop working for Texas universities to be increasingly accessible and inclusive.
Reporting by Brad Brooks in Lubbock, Texas; editing by Donna Bryson and Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons:
Greg Abbott, Abbott, Brandon Creighton, Paulette Granberry Russell, Russell, Brad Brooks, Donna Bryson, Leslie Adler
Organizations:
Texas, U.S, Supreme, Republican, National Association of Diversity, Higher, Thomson
Locations:
Texas, Lubbock , Texas