University of Oklahoma: Mandatory Diversity Training Requires Compelled Speech
Cases
University of Oklahoma
Case Overview
The University of Oklahoma’s mandatory diversity training requires faculty and staff to affirm university-approved viewpoints to complete the training. On November 16, 2020, FIREwrote to OU to explain that requiring students and faculty to state that they agree with ideas that they may oppose amounts to compelled speech, which is unconstitutional. FIREalso submitted a public records request seeking copies of the training materials. OU refused to send the materials, agreeing only that a FIREstaff member could travel across the country to Norman, Oklahoma, to view the materials in person. After FIREblogged about the diversity training, OU responded that it would consult with its software vendor, EVERFI. On April 26, however, OU told FIREthat its training “does not impose specific ways of thinking” and that it will not make changes to its training.