The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s removal of Dr. LaVar Charleston as chief of the Division of Diversity, Equity and Educational Achievement (DDEEA) Wednesday raised questions among state legislators about the future of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across Wisconsin.
UW-Madison demoted Charleston amid “concern about financial operations and fiscal judgments” under his leadership, according to a statement from UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin Wednesday. Mnookin said the decision wouldn’t directly impact students, staff and faculty served and affiliated with DDEEA programs.
Charleston’s demotion comes off a slew of DEI rollbacks across the nation and anticipation of a report into the DDEEA from Wisconsin’s Legislative Audit Bureau. In May, the Republican-controlled Legislature struck a deal with UW System to unfreeze pay raises for 35,000 UW System employees in exchange for audits into DEI initiatives across the state. The decision was made after months of pressure from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, to “eliminate cancerous DEI practices on UW campuses.”
Democrats have criticized the audit and accused Republicans of “weaponizing” the bipartisan Legislative Audit Bureau “to conduct purely ideological and politically driven exercises at the behest of GOP committees.” Rep. Francesca Hong, D-Madison, told The Daily Cardinal she is worried efforts against DEI in Wisconsin will weaken the system with legal and financial issues.
“The consequences are going to be detrimental to every sector of our state,” Hong said. “Institutions who have to eliminate DEI departments are in danger of litigation and even lawsuits from employees.”
Meanwhile, Republican legislators are criticizing UW-Madison for not firing Charleston from university employment altogether. Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie, pointed to allegations of self-plagiarism against Charleston and demanded he be held accountable for “financial mismanagement” on Facebook, while Sen. Mary Felzkowksi, R-Tomahawk, called the decision “embarrassing.”
“It is appalling that LaVar Charleston, UW-Madison’s Vice Chancellor of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) and husband of Harvard’s plagiarizing DEI Chief, was trusted with taxpayer dollars,” Felzkowksi said in a statement. “I truly hope that the university takes this as a realization that the days of unrelenting and unrestrained DEI are over.”
Sreejita Patra is a senior staff writer and the former summer ad sales manager for The Daily Cardinal. She has written for breaking news, campus news and arts and has done extensive reporting on the 2024 presidential race. She also covered the Oregon Village Board for the Oregon Observer.
