{"id":128771,"date":"2025-07-28T16:15:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T00:15:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/07\/28\/indiana-university-professors-stuck-with-vague-thought-diversity-law-that-controls-their-classrooms\/"},"modified":"2025-07-28T16:15:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T00:15:10","slug":"indiana-university-professors-stuck-with-vague-thought-diversity-law-that-controls-their-classrooms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/07\/28\/indiana-university-professors-stuck-with-vague-thought-diversity-law-that-controls-their-classrooms\/","title":{"rendered":"Indiana University Professors Stuck With Vague \u2018Thought Diversity\u2019 Law That Controls Their Classrooms"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thought diversity usually gets brought up on this site as a gag example of the diversity that really matters. For the sake of school applications and scholarships, that \u201cthought diversity\u201d usually boils down to \u201cI grew up on a farm which means I think differently\u201d or \u201cBeing a collector of novelty Labubus will prepare me to be a more ethical prosecutor in these ways.\u201d But there are occasions where our constitution for diverse points of view is actually tested, like when a Trump judge gives a Nazi-adjacent student an A after submitting a paper on why immigrants should be killed<\/a> or when Amy Wax decides to invite a White Nationalist guest to her classroom again<\/a>. While they happen with relative frequency, they are generally one-off events that flow from the quirkiness of the parties involved. This time, a \u201cthought diversity\u201d requirement could force teachers in Indiana to change their lesson plans in ways that aren\u2019t just vague, but could include dangerous viewpoints. The Indiana Lawyer<\/a> has coverage:<\/p>\n

\n

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of several Indiana professors against Indiana University and Purdue University over the state\u2019s intellectual diversity law, with a lack of jurisdiction cited as the reason for the case\u2019s dismissal.
\u2026
The law states that faculty are required to teach scholarly works \u201cfrom a variety of political or ideological frameworks\u201d within their purview of instruction\u2026The professors raised concerns that the unclear language of the law could open coursework requirements to include potentially dangerous viewpoints.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

For context, teaching both sides \u2014 much like taking the sunlight is the best disinfectant rationale to its logical ends \u2014 often has the consequence of platforming fascists:<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

“Of course there are no ‘both sides’ to the teaching of the Holocaust. But Republicans, while I’ve got your attention, there are no ‘both sides’ to the teaching of slavery or Jim Crow either.”<\/p>\n

Me on how anti-CRT laws have led to Holocaust teaching issues:pic.twitter.com\/5jdrv84KX9<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) October 18, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

It\u2019s a lesson Medhi Hasan should have been well aware of; here he is just four years later helping fascist talking points be platformed in the spirit of open discussion:<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Medhi Hasan goes into the Lions Den and debates Young American Conservatives.<\/p>\n

This ‘Conor’ guy describes the USA he wants, the others agree with him.<\/p>\n

Ethno-Fascism. He’s describing Ethno-Fascism. pic.twitter.com\/H6yLGfLc5G<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 John O’Connell (@jdpoc) July 21, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

In a later interview Hasan clarified<\/a> that he didn\u2019t know that he\u2019d be debating open fascists \u2014 he was told that they\u2019d merely be \u201calt-right conservatives\u201d, but that should have been enough of a tell tell sign. Fascists have been operating under the alt-right conservative moniker since at least back when Richard Spencer got punched in the face nearly a decade<\/em> ago<\/a>. That being said, if the fascist by another name was all it took to sidestep someone like Hasan\u2019s suspicions, the same trick may very tell bypass a teacher\u2019s gutcheck sense of who and what should be getting stage time in the classroom \u2014 the alt-right pipeline is already so ingrained in to algorithms and advertisement that an introduction in to the \u201copposition\u201d could set their students well down the \u201cwas it really six million?\u201d rabbit hole. <\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take the conversation back to the pragmatic consequences. What would this law require teachers to do? Counter each module on the moral significance of libert\u00e9, \u00e9galit\u00e9, fraternit\u00e9 as they relate to the Enlightenment with an equally in-depth survey of Dark Enlightenment thinkers arguing about how exclusionary ethnostates that deploy slavery and rigid social stratification are the future of humanity? What if the teachers are willing to teach \u201cboth sides\u201d but lack the conceptual familiarity or background to do so? Take the Dark Enlightenment example from above; I seriously doubt that every English or Philosophy professor that is brushed up on Kant and Voltaire\u2019s notions on \u201cfreedom\u201d are as equally prepared (or willing) to cover those concepts as understood by Nick Land or Aleksandr Dugin. If they aren\u2019t willing, does the law compel them to do so?<\/p>\n

Now do this rationale for every discipline. The case may have been dismissed but the theory behind it, that the law is unclear and violates the First Amendment, appears to be very strong. Let\u2019s hope that the next steps in this case will be successful \u2014 and Godspeed to whatever History professor will have to add a \u201cWhat if Hitler was right?\u201d addendum to their WW2 section of the syllabus to keep things \u201cdiverse.\u201d For updates, keep your eye on McDonald v. Trustees of Indiana University, Trustees of Purdue University<\/em>, 1:24-cv-1575.<\/p>\n

Federal Judge Dismisses Professors\u2019 Lawsuit Against IU, Purdue Over New Intellectual Diversity Law<\/a> [The Indiana Lawyer]<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord\u2122 in the Facebook group\u00a0Law School Memes for Edgy T14s . He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who is learning to swim,\u00a0is interested in critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at\u00a0cwilliams@abovethelaw.com<\/a> and by tweet at\u00a0@WritesForRent<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The post Indiana University Professors Stuck With Vague \u2018Thought Diversity\u2019 Law That Controls Their Classrooms<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Thought diversity usually gets brought up on this site as a gag example of the diversity that really matters. For the sake of school applications and scholarships, that \u201cthought diversity\u201d usually boils down to \u201cI grew up on a farm which means I think differently\u201d or \u201cBeing a collector of novelty Labubus will prepare me to be a more ethical prosecutor in these ways.\u201d But there are occasions where our constitution for diverse points of view is actually tested, like when a Trump judge gives a Nazi-adjacent student an A after submitting a paper on why immigrants should be killed<\/a> or when Amy Wax decides to invite a White Nationalist guest to her classroom again<\/a>. While they happen with relative frequency, they are generally one-off events that flow from the quirkiness of the parties involved. This time, a \u201cthought diversity\u201d requirement could force teachers in Indiana to change their lesson plans in ways that aren\u2019t just vague, but could include dangerous viewpoints. The Indiana Lawyer<\/a> has coverage:<\/p>\n

\n

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of several Indiana professors against Indiana University and Purdue University over the state\u2019s intellectual diversity law, with a lack of jurisdiction cited as the reason for the case\u2019s dismissal.
\u2026
The law states that faculty are required to teach scholarly works \u201cfrom a variety of political or ideological frameworks\u201d within their purview of instruction\u2026The professors raised concerns that the unclear language of the law could open coursework requirements to include potentially dangerous viewpoints.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

For context, teaching both sides \u2014 much like taking the sunlight is the best disinfectant rationale to its logical ends \u2014 often has the consequence of platforming fascists:<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

“Of course there are no ‘both sides’ to the teaching of the Holocaust. But Republicans, while I’ve got your attention, there are no ‘both sides’ to the teaching of slavery or Jim Crow either.”<\/p>\n

Me on how anti-CRT laws have led to Holocaust teaching issues:pic.twitter.com\/5jdrv84KX9<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) October 18, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

It\u2019s a lesson Medhi Hasan should have been well aware of; here he is just four years later helping fascist talking points be platformed in the spirit of open discussion:<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Medhi Hasan goes into the Lions Den and debates Young American Conservatives.<\/p>\n

This ‘Conor’ guy describes the USA he wants, the others agree with him.<\/p>\n

Ethno-Fascism. He’s describing Ethno-Fascism. pic.twitter.com\/H6yLGfLc5G<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 John O’Connell (@jdpoc) July 21, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

In a later interview Hasan clarified<\/a> that he didn\u2019t know that he\u2019d be debating open fascists \u2014 he was told that they\u2019d merely be \u201calt-right conservatives\u201d, but that should have been enough of a tell tell sign. Fascists have been operating under the alt-right conservative moniker since at least back when Richard Spencer got punched in the face nearly a decade<\/em> ago<\/a>. That being said, if the fascist by another name was all it took to sidestep someone like Hasan\u2019s suspicions, the same trick may very tell bypass a teacher\u2019s gutcheck sense of who and what should be getting stage time in the classroom \u2014 the alt-right pipeline is already so ingrained in to algorithms and advertisement that an introduction in to the \u201copposition\u201d could set their students well down the \u201cwas it really six million?\u201d rabbit hole. <\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take the conversation back to the pragmatic consequences. What would this law require teachers to do? Counter each module on the moral significance of libert\u00e9, \u00e9galit\u00e9, fraternit\u00e9 as they relate to the Enlightenment with an equally in-depth survey of Dark Enlightenment thinkers arguing about how exclusionary ethnostates that deploy slavery and rigid social stratification are the future of humanity? What if the teachers are willing to teach \u201cboth sides\u201d but lack the conceptual familiarity or background to do so? Take the Dark Enlightenment example from above; I seriously doubt that every English or Philosophy professor that is brushed up on Kant and Voltaire\u2019s notions on \u201cfreedom\u201d are as equally prepared (or willing) to cover those concepts as understood by Nick Land or Aleksandr Dugin. If they aren\u2019t willing, does the law compel them to do so?<\/p>\n

Now do this rationale for every discipline. The case may have been dismissed but the theory behind it, that the law is unclear and violates the First Amendment, appears to be very strong. Let\u2019s hope that the next steps in this case will be successful \u2014 and Godspeed to whatever History professor will have to add a \u201cWhat if Hitler was right?\u201d addendum to their WW2 section of the syllabus to keep things \u201cdiverse.\u201d For updates, keep your eye on McDonald v. Trustees of Indiana University, Trustees of Purdue University<\/em>, 1:24-cv-1575.<\/p>\n

Federal Judge Dismisses Professors\u2019 Lawsuit Against IU, Purdue Over New Intellectual Diversity Law<\/a> [The Indiana Lawyer]<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord\u2122 in the Facebook group\u00a0Law School Memes for Edgy T14s . He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who is learning to swim,\u00a0is interested in critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at\u00a0cwilliams@abovethelaw.com<\/a> and by tweet at\u00a0@WritesForRent<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The post Indiana University Professors Stuck With Vague \u2018Thought Diversity\u2019 Law That Controls Their Classrooms<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thought diversity usually gets brought up on this site as a gag example of the diversity that really matters. For the sake of school applications and scholarships, that \u201cthought diversity\u201d usually boils down to \u201cI grew up on a farm which means I think differently\u201d or \u201cBeing a collector of novelty Labubus will prepare me […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":128763,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-128771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/xira.com\/p\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Chris-Williams-2025-fZzFLR.jpg?fit=512%2C288&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=128771"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128771\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/128763"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=128771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=128771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=128771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}