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Penn State Faces Lawsuit Over DEI Promotion Demands
Liberty Check
A Penn State Extension faculty member claims her career advancement was blocked for failing to embrace mandated ideological positions on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The lawsuit asserts university promotion rules pressure educators to affirm viewpoints that contradict free expression rights.
- Molly Kelly, a wine scientist with an extensive record of professional achievement, alleges she was denied two promotions for meeting but not exceeding DEI outreach requirements.
- University reviewers found fault in Kelly’s DEI engagement, arguing she merely “checked the box” and lacked personal ideological commitment.
- Legal counsel for Kelly contends these requirements force faculty to adopt a government-approved narrative, violating fundamental constitutional protections.
Kelly’s case challenges whether taxpayer-funded universities can condition employment and advancement on professed loyalty to prevailing ideological doctrines, instead of proven professional merit. The dispute exposes subjective and vague promotion criteria that prioritize compliance over competence.
“Public universities are not allowed to condition employment decisions on the parroting of a preferred viewpoint.”
Efforts to enforce DEI standards have faced scrutiny nationwide, with multiple lawsuits questioning the legality of such mandates under both the First and Fourteenth Amendments.
Stand against intrusive policies that threaten academic freedom and constitutional rights. Stay informed and demand accountability from public institutions.
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