Removing UTD’s pride wall was ‘necessary, albeit delayed, compliance’ with SB 17

The removal of the ‘You Belong Here’ pride wall at UT Dallas is a necessary, albeit delayed, compliance measure forced by the enactment of Texas Senate Bill 17. I personally brought this display to the attention of Libs of TikTok to ensure that the university’s non-compliance would face public scrutiny. SB 17 explicitly prohibits public universities from utilizing state resources to promote ideologically motivated DEI initiatives and political messaging. The fact that the university chose to quietly dismantle the display following this exposure only demonstrates that they were fully aware they were operating outside the boundaries of state law.

My effort to bring accountability to higher education began when I exposed the institutional indoctrination at Penn State Dickinson Law, which was covered by the Washington Free Beacon and is still ongoing. Universities across the nation have mistakenly believed they can mandate ideological compliance without consequence. Whether it is a mandatory institutional class in Pennsylvania or taxpayer-funded partisan displays at a Texas university, the standard remains the same: public educational institutions must serve all students equally, rather than acting as a sandbox for political activism. I will continue to hold universities like Penn State and UT Dallas accountable through aggressive legislative lobbying and rigorous investigations. The removal of the wall at UTD is a victory for the rule of law and transparency in Texas.

David Wayne Blackman II, Incoming Dual MBA / MS ITM Candidate