This week, the Granite Eagle Press published an article titled, “A Look at Spending on DEI and Social Issue Programming in New Hampshire’s Public Colleges”. To say what they uncovered and reported on was disturbing would be an understatement.
The University System of New Hampshire consists of the University of New Hampshire (UNH), Plymouth State University and Keene State University. Combined, the “system” enrolls over 32,000 students and according to the New Hampshire Department Education, is the largest provider of secondary post education in New Hampshire. There are also 90,000 alumni currently living in New Hampshire.
The report detailed the ongoing focus and investments in DEI across the University System of New Hampshire, even though the vast majority of Americans have denounced this ridiculousness. To this day, there are still large DEI departments within the University System of New Hampshire and absurd salaries being paid for teams to support DEI. While the focus and exorbitant spending on DEI across these institutions is appalling, allow me the opportunity to focus on the University of New Hampshire.
It’s important to understand that the University System of NH received over $100 million in funding from the State of NH last year. So yes, your tax dollars are being spent to support organizations who have dedicated teams and paid employees to push DEI. On a positive note, NH lawmakers are proposing a two year, $50 million cut to the University System of NH. I wonder if any staff members in the DEI department will be cut?
In January, 2024 when I was still writing for the Union Leader, I published a column about my experience attending my daughter’s track meet at the University of New Hampshire. I wrote about how I entered the men’s room and came across a machine hanging on the wall that dispensed free feminine products. I immediately thought I had accidentally walked into the wrong bathroom and then realized I hadn’t. I recognized the harsh reality that UNH had purposely installed a feminine products machine in the men’s room to support DEI and the woke nonsense that was permeating throughout our country, at the time.
I was completely dismayed. I immediately wondered how this could even be possible. How could UNH justify this madness? I contacted the Director of Media Relations and the Director of Research Communications at UNH multiple times. I asked them a simple question. “Can you please clarify if the free feminine product machine was intentionally placed in the men’s room to support women who identify as men and use the men’s room, or was there some kind of mix up and the machine was placed in the wrong restroom?”
It should come as no surprise that not a single person from UNH responded to my inquiries. For the record, I did not waste my time and reach out to UNH for comment before penning this column. They don’t have the courage to comment and I’d bet my paycheck their public relations team advised them to ignore me. That’s the typical approach.
When I published that column, it was during a time when speaking out against DEI was risky. You could get cancelled. You could get fired from your job. You could be ostracized. I decided to go against the grain and write about it, regardless of the backlash I was likely to face. And that’s when I learned a very valuable lesson about core beliefs.
I was flooded with feedback from readers. It was by far, the most popular column I had ever written. I received more direct feedback from readers than I ever had before. People thanked me. I was applauded. People told me that they wholeheartedly feel the same way, but were scared to speak up. It was a very powerful and moving moment for me, both personally and professionally.
Fast forward to today. DEI is dead. A long list of major organizations are rolling back, eliminating or denouncing DEI, including PepsiCo, Google, Target, McDonald’s, Walmart and most notably, the entire United States military and federal government. Meanwhile, publicly funded institutions in New Hampshire remain focused on the DEI nonsense that the overwhelmingly majority of people don’t support. Maybe someday they will wake up, but I’m not holding my breath.
On a personal note, last year, I brought my daughter to college to start her freshman year. When we walked into her dorm, there was a large TV on the lobby wall with a picture and contact information of the staff member that was in charge of her dorm. It should come as no surprise that the staff member had her pronouns listed after her name. After we got my daughter settled into her room, we took a stroll around the campus and came across a group of students writing “Free Palestine” in chalk on the walkway.
When I went to say goodbye to my daughter, I turned to her and said, “Please don’t get brainwashed by these people.” She looked me in the eye and said, “Dad, I promise I won’t. I know better.” That was a moment I will remember and cherish forever.