© 2025. The Trustees of Indiana University
Copyright Complaints
1229 East Seventh Street, Bloomington, Indiana 47405
News, Arts and Culture from WFIU Public Radio and WTIU Public Television
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Federal funding for public media has been eliminated — we need your help to continue serving south central Indiana
Some web content from Indiana Public Media is unavailable during our transition to a new web publishing platform. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Braun report highlights elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion across state government

Gov. Mike Braun signed an executive order in January 2025 to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion across Indiana state government.
Brandon Smith
/
IPB News
Gov. Mike Braun signed an executive order in January 2025 to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion across Indiana state government.

"Diversity has been removed from the state's employer values." That's one of many changes the Braun administration is implementing across Indiana state government to eliminate statements, policies and programs referencing diversity, equity and inclusion.

The governor's office released a report that follows up on an executive order issued early this year.

The 135-page report includes identifying references to the words diversity, equity and inclusion in archived meeting minutes, changing language in employee handbooks and mission statements, and eliminating positions and programs.

Some examples include working to remove a continuing education requirement for real estate brokers on fair housing laws in listing agreements; ending a program to help Hispanic and Latino families enroll in the 21st Century Scholars program; removing materials from the Indiana Department of Child Services website on racially diverse adoptive families; and eliminating contractors at the Indiana Office of Minority Health.

The governor's office calls DEI mandates "divisive" and says they lead to inefficiency.

The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus has said Braun's executive order perpetuates false and negative stereotypes and sends a message that the state doesn't care about fairness.

Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

Copyright 2025 IPB News

Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.
Related Content