North Carolina Passes Law to Ban DEI at Public Colleges

On June 24, 2026, North Carolina’s Legislature passed a law to ban DEI efforts at the state’s public colleges, overriding a veto from Governor Josh Stein. The law went into effect immediately and prevents public colleges from maintaining DEI offices or employees and bars them from “endors[ing] divisive concepts,” such as privilege on the basis of sex or race, and that “a series of power relationships and struggles among racial or other groups” has replaced the rule of law. Similar laws have been enacted in 17 states, including 33 laws to restrict DEI initiatives since 2023.