Alabama Professor Alleges Lawmaker Threatened Honors Program Funding Over Anti-DEI Law

Dana Patton, director of the Witt Fellows Program and political science professor at the University of Alabama, testified in a federal evidentiary hearing that a member of the Alabama House of Representatives threatened to cut the fellowship program's budget if its curriculum did not comply with a state law banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and so-called "divisive concepts." The law, known as Senate Bill 129, took effect on October 1, 2024, and has led to complaints from students alleging that the required readings in the Witt Fellows Program present one perspective as correct while shutting down others, causing some students to feel unsafe expressing their viewpoints. Patton indicated that university officials informed her that a "very powerful person in Montgomery," potentially a state legislator or major university donor, was behind the complaints. During a meeting at a University of Alabama football game, Patton said Rep. Danny Garrett, chair of the House Ways and Means Education Committee, discussed the program's compliance with the law and implied consequences related to its funding. The testimony highlights the tensions surrounding enforcement of the law and its impact on academic programs at the university. The case is part of an ongoing federal lawsuit challenging the Alabama statute.