A sign for the University of Alabama on University Blvd. in Tuscaloosa, AL Saturday August 24, 2024. (Will McLelland/Alabama Reflector)
Attorneys representing the University of Alabama (UA) system in a lawsuit challenging Alabama’s 2024 state law banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and so-called “divisive concepts” claimed in court filings that new federal guidance on anti-discrimination laws would make it unlawful for UA to reopen open spaces dedicated to minority students, likening it to “unlawful segregation.”
In a brief filed Tuesday last week, attorneys for the university cited a July memorandum from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, claiming that DEI initiatives can be considered discriminatory and may be in violation of federal anti-discrimination laws…