MU Students Protest Expected DEI Cuts

“DEI Until I Die” was one chant from the more than 150 students who marched across the Marshall University campus Thursday. 

Joined by West Virginia ACLU members, students said their concerns focused on the many Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs and organizations that have flourished at the school. 

Marshall is one of many state-funded institutions facing an upcoming Executive Order deadline from Gov. Patick Morrisey that curtails DEI initiatives. 

Matthew Lebo, a Marshall senior from Parkersburg, said campus DEI programs help many learn to fit in. 

“They have different centers available for LGBTQ people at Marshall and for racial minorities,” Lebo said. “It’s to enable them to find a place of community on campus, to feel welcome, to help them through struggles for living in what is a very hostile state towards a lot of marginalized communities.”

Several students also held signs and spoke out against state and federal budget cuts and job reduction in areas like the U.S. Forest Service and library programs.

Marshall Communications Director Leah Payne said no one from the University was slated to speak to the protest group. She explained the school’s progress on executive order compliance in an email response. 

“No action has been taken yet on the DEI executive orders,” Payne said in the email.  “We reached out to the governor’s office for clarification on a multitude of items. To my knowledge, there have been no changes yet, although we are working toward compliance, and changes are expected in the coming weeks.”