Robert Montoya - Texas Scorecard Joins Houston's Morning News

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yeah, what does book mean these days? Seven to fifty
two is their time here in Houston's morning News. All right,
Texas scorecards. Robert Montoya joins us to ensure compliance with
the statewide band of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. University of
Texas staff now mandated to undergo regular training, but an
audit of their website shows something like thirteen thousand give
or take references to DEI related terms. Join us to

(00:24):
talk about it is Robert Montoya. So I guess the
question is are they complying or not complying?

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Robert, Well, this move by the University of Texas system
is part of a pattern of very positive moves they've
shown where there looks like they're trying to come in
compliance with the law. I mean, earlier they shut down
their division of Campus Community Engagement, their Multicultural Engagement Center,
so it appears at an administrative level they're trying to come

(00:53):
to compliance with the law. And they've also said that look,
there should be every college, school or unit the University
text system should finish their own review of their websites
by December thirty first for DEI related terms.

Speaker 1 (01:07):
Okay, so they might just be a little bit behind
the times when it comes to game, those websites cleaned up.
I did know that Senate Bill seventeen, which is the
law that prohibits universities from establishing a DEI office or
to use DEI criteria. They're hiring practices. They made it
mandatory for everybody. But academic instruction isn't that where most

(01:27):
of the DEI problems occur is in the classrooms.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
That that is true. There are limits to Bill seventeen.
And what people should take away is, look, the university
text system is making a very positive move, but DEI
is still in your Texas universities. Like, for example, earlier
we report that UT Austin has a LGBT course that
promotes LGBT values and has a required textbook that appears

(01:53):
to promote the sexualization of minors. We've also reported that
Texas A and M has an Educational Foundation course that's
just chocked full of DEI. So DEI is still alive
and well unfortunately in our education system. But you know,
what the University of Texas system is doing is a
very positive move, but there's still a lot of work

(02:14):
remaining to do.

Speaker 1 (02:15):
I would I would think you know, part of when
you have a DEI office. When you have people whose
main function is to incorporate these programs when that no
longer exists, that certainly helps. But when you have people
who have been trained in that, the question I would
ask Robert is how many of those people who are
working specifically in DEI programs at Texas universities are now

(02:37):
just employed in some other department and may be doing
many of the same things. They just don't have the
same title or or or or the same you know,
the same sort of mission. They don't necessarily have a
DEI mission, but that's what they were trained in and
they have another job at the university.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
Well, that was a concern. What is going to happen
with these individuals who used to be staffed in DEI.
Are they just going be moved around? That's something that
we've been listening for. I think that's something that's been discussed.
But another core problem is that in too many of
our Texas universities, like the University of Texas system, like
Texts A and M, there is this concept of shared governance,

(03:18):
and it's this idea that the faculty members should share
governing power with the board of regents. And as you know,
we just have way too many faculty that are woke
and really shared governance should not be a thing. It's
the boards of regents that are appointed by the governor,
that are approved by the Senate, the state Senate, that
have the responsibility for running these universities. They should not

(03:39):
be sharing power with faculty, especially when many of these
faculty members are woken, are against Texas values.

Speaker 1 (03:45):
Quickly think as we're almost out of time. But the
state of Texas itself, is there enough oversight on these
universities to see I they're complying.

Speaker 2 (03:54):
Well. State Center Brandon Crichton is indicated that he is
intent on ensuring there is compliance that he's going to
be falling up with him in regards to Senate Bill
seventeen as regards to eradicing di I completely. We'll have
to see what else the legislature does in the upcoming session.

Speaker 1 (04:10):
All right, Robert Montoya, thank you, sir, appreciate it. From
Texas Scorecard. Robert Montoya