Indiana
Public colleges preparing for new state law on ‘intellectual diversity’ – Inside INdiana Business
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A new state law aimed at countering state college environments that could be viewed as unfriendly or hostile to conservatives is raising concerns among some faculty as colleges work to figure out what compliance looks like.
Senate Enrolled Act 202 was signed by Gov. Eric Holcomb in March and calls for the implementation of “intellectual diversity” programming at state-funded universities in Indiana.
Under the new law, faculty members at public universities will be required to teach scholarly works “from a variety of political or ideological frameworks” within the faculty member’s purview of instruction. Those found in violation could face disciplinary action or lose tenure protections, depending on how schools implement the law.
Two professors at Purdue University Fort Wayne are suing the school to prevent it from being implemented, claiming the law isn’t clear on what material faculty will be required to teach.
The legislation was authored by Republican state senators Spencer Deery of West Lafayette, Jeff Raatz of Richmond and Tyler Johnson of Leo.
Deery has said the new law is necessary to provide a more robust definition of diversity and belonging on college campuses.
Others see the law as part of a trend among Republican-led states that have moved to limit tenure and target diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Schools subject to the new requirements are Ball State University, Indiana State University, Indiana University, Ivy Tech Community College, Purdue University, the University of Southern Indiana and Vincennes University.
Concerns among faculty
The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed a lawsuit on May 7 against the trustees of Purdue University on behalf of faculty members at the university’s Fort Wayne campus.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Steven Carr and David Schuster, who are both tenured faculty at the school.
Carr, a communications professor, is also the director of the Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the Fort Wayne campus.
Schuster is an associate professor in the university’s history department.
The lawsuit says the professors’ biggest issue lies in the language of the bill, which states faculty members must “foster a culture of free inquiry, free expression and intellectual diversity within the institution.”
The professors say they are unsure what that phrase means, arguing the unclear language could open the coursework requirements to include potentially dangerous viewpoints, according to court documents.
“Just to take Professor Carr’s example, he teaches about the Holocaust,” said Stevie Pactor, a staff attorney with ACLU of Indiana representing the plaintiffs in the case. “It’s a real concern for him, ‘Do I have to teach you the perspective of Holocaust denial or Holocaust revisionism?’ Because if the criteria you’re supposed to use is stuff that exists in the body of scholarly works, well, that’s there.”
In an op-ed for Based in Lafayette, an independent news site, Deery argues faculty are already required to foster intellectual diversity and this law exists to make it more formal.
Further, he disagrees with the assumption that the law pushes for the teaching of offensive material.
“It’s ludicrous to claim that valuing intellectual diversity is a mandate to teach something offensive or non-scholarly, such as the ‘other side’ of genocide,” he said in an email to Indiana Lawyer.
Deery dismissed the ACLU’s claims and said the language of the law is designed to let individual universities decide what works for them.
“It’s the ACLU. It’s what they do whether there is anything there or not,” Deery said in a written statement. “Senate Enrolled Act 202 was carefully crafted to protect academic freedom, promote free speech and strengthen the quality of education Hoosiers receive. It was designed to withstand desperate measures from those who do not want to see changes in the culture and practices of higher education or who insist their narrow worldview is the only one that counts.”
But Purdue professors are not the only ones concerned about what the new changes could mean for keeping faculty at the schools.
Moira Marsh, a librarian for anthropology, folklore and sociology at Indiana University Bloomington believes the law is government overreach, fearing the state government regulation of tenure could mean that the rules for faculty could change with each legislative session.
Marsh, who’s also president of the Indiana Conference of the American Association of University Professors, believes fellow faculty members maintain the best judgment when it comes to approving faculty work, tenure and more.
“We police each other,” she said.
Implementing the law
Public universities across the state are now working to adhere to the new law, which goes into effect on July 1.
Back in March, Indiana University President Pamela Whitten said the university is working on how to approach the law in a way that includes faculty input.
“Any steps required for legal compliance will include and affirm our values of intellectual rigor and academic freedom,” Whitten said. “Our academic processes of review for hiring, renewal, tenure and promotion will continue to be applied.”
Purdue’s Board of Trustees has vocalized its dedication to following the expectations of the new law, releasing a statement on June 7 to reaffirm their “commitment to institutional neutrality and delegated additional authority and responsibilities.”
“…the Statement of Policy on Institutional Neutrality was approved and adopted as the official Purdue policy, reflecting the university’s existing and long-standing practice,” said Steve Schultz, senior vice president and general counsel. “As required by SEA 202, this policy provides that the university will refrain from taking an official institutional position on a government proposal or policy debate that touches on a social or political issue being contested in the public arena unless that proposal or policy has a direct bearing on the university’s fiscal affairs or on the tools afforded to it to advance its land-grant mission.”
Indiana Lawyer reached out to leaders at the other schools impacted by the law.
The University of Southern Indiana said it is working to comply with the law but offered no further comment.
Ball State declined to comment. Indiana State, Ivy Tech and Vincennes did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Legislation across the country
Since it was introduced, critics have grouped Senate Bill 202 with “anti-diversity, equity and inclusion” laws impacting higher education across the country, including in Texas, Florida, Tennessee and Utah.
According to data from the Chronicle of Higher Education, since 2023, 14 anti-DEI bills across 12 states have been passed in the U.S.
Last June, the governor of Texas passed a law banning college diversity, equity and inclusion programming that doesn’t comply with sections of the state constitution.
The University of Texas cut 311 full- and part-time positions across its nine academic and five health campuses as a result, according to a report from NBC News.
And in Tennessee, the governor signed a bill that ends mandatory implicit-bias training.
Despite the critics, Deery doesn’t believe the law is anti-DEI.
“I believe schools should help students of all backgrounds enroll and succeed,” he said. “The law doesn’t interfere with that, but it does ask colleges to also promote a more robust definition of diversity and belonging than the narrow and superficial definition that often drives the conversation.”
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RIPLEY COUNTY, Ind. (WSBT) — A statewide Silver Alert has been issued for two young children in Indiana.
Police in Ripley County, southeast of Indianapolis, are looing for the children who may be siblings.
The first child is 3-year-old Aaliyah Buckingham.
She was last seen wearing a pink cat shirt and tie-dye shorts.
The younger child is 1-year-old Shane Buckingham, last seen in a red shirt and diaper.
Police think both are with 45-year-old Timothy Buckingham, who was last seen driving a brown GMC truck.
Timothy is described as a 6′ 3″ white man weighing 225 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.
Photo of Timothy Buckingham provided by Indiana State Police
Police have not confirmed the relationship of the three, or why the children are believed to be in danger.
Anyone who sees the three are asked to contact the nearest police department.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A firefighter for the Indianapolis Fire Department was sent to the hospital Wednesday after battling a fire at a vacant house.
According to a Facebook post made by IFD, the fire happened around 10:15 a.m. at a house on Bluff Rd. IFD says that there were several complications, including limited access to fire hydrants and “interior hoarder conditions” that IFD says was due to squatters.
The injured firefighter received “slight injury,” the Facebook post said.
It took over an hour and a half to get the fire under control, according to IFD, and another hour to put out all the remaining hot spots in the building.
According to IFD, the cause of the fire is currently unknown. Their Fire Investigations Unit is working on figuring out what caused the fire.
Can Indiana football land 5-star receiver Monshun Sales? Recruiting analysis
The Hoosiers are a finalist for five-star Lawrence North receiver Monshun Sales. IndyStar insiders Kyle Neddenriep and Zach Osterman discuss IU’s chances.
The high school football season is a little more than five weeks away. We take a look today at 10 potential sleeper teams for the 2026 season from Central Indiana. To keep things consistent, we considered only teams that finished last season with a .500 record or below.
I had a few hits in this category last year, including Avon (3-7 to 6-5), Carmel (3-7 to 9-2) and Indian Creek (5-6 to 8-4). Here are teams poised for an uptick this season:
Brebeuf Jesuit
A drop off last year was not unexpected for the Braves, who lost a lot of talent from a team that finished 8-3 in 2024. Brebeuf started 0-6 on its way to a 3-8 season, which was its first losing record since going 4-6 in 2016.
There were some mitigating circumstances around last season’s record, extending beyond inexperience. The Braves lost starting quarterback Keegan Bouwkamp to an injury in the first game of the season, though he was able to return to pass for 1,004 yards and 15 touchdowns in just four games. His return as a senior will allow to senior Carter Cosgrove to return to receiver full time. They are part of a group of nine starters returning to an offense that did produce 26 points per game last season and will be anchored by UConn commit Krystian Oakley on the line.
Coach Matt Geske’s team also returns six starters on defense, including junior Joshua Rogers (42 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five sacks). There are some new games on the schedule, including Mt. Vernon, Scecina, Columbus North and Cardinal Ritter.
North Central
It might seem like a small thing but North Central finishing 2-8 last season did represent a significant jump after three consecutive 0-10 seasons. In fact, a two-win season is the best for the Panthers since going 6-4 in 2020.
Now, can North Central take another step forward in Collin Coffer’s second season as coach? The Panthers ended a 32-game losing streak in the season opener last year with a 35-13 victory over Brebeuf, then defeated Harrison (West Lafayette) 41-28 in Week 5. If North Central is going to take the next step, it will need to make headway against Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference opponents (North Central’s most-recent MIC win was in 2021).
There is plenty of hope coming into the season with an offense led by junior quarterback Chase Grove (1,901 passing yards, 19 TDs) and an experienced group of receivers. Most of the defense also returns, including seniors Kolton Ablitar-Conner and Jameson Hittle.
Zionsville
The Eagles were 3-7 last year, but four of those losses came by 10 points or less. Zionsville has been stuck on either three or four wins every year since going 9-6 and reaching the Class 5A state finals in 2021.
There are reasons to believe coach Scott Turnquist’s team can make a move in 2026. The offensive line brings back Ball State commit Eli Wildoner and Ben Maxey and has a rising star in junior tight end Theo Schott, who caught 26 passes for 305 yards and three TDs last season. Junior quarterback Finn Giles transferred from Carmel and will battle for the starting spot with junior Mac Wright.
The defense has talent, too, led by senior Ball State preferred walk-on Roman Barth on the line, along with junior Peter Monohan. The secondary returns one of the team’s top tacklers in junior Gabe Vinatieri. Zionsville starts with Pike and Lawrence Central before getting into Hoosier Crossroads Conference play.
Martinsville
The Artesians did drop off from a 12-2 regional championship season in 2024 but still managed to win a sectional title and finish 6-7 last year with a relatively inexperienced team.
Coach Brian Dugger’s group will still be a little bit on the young side in some areas, but there is quite a bit coming back. Leading the way on offense will be senior quarterback Chase Davis (2,510 passing yards, 24 TDs), senior receiver Landon Cazee (95 catches, 1,280 yards, 13 TDs) and senior lineman Kyson Bunton.
The defense loses some key pieces to graduation, though senior linebackers Joel Sumner (67 tackles, five TFLs) and Nate LaFary (47 tackles in eight games) are among those returning. The path to a sectional title became a lot more difficult with Roncalli now in the mix. The Artesians open the season with Bedford North Lawrence and Bloomington South before getting into Mid-State Conference play with new league member Bloomington North in Week 3.
Hamilton Heights
Caleb Small comes over to coach his alma mater after coaching at Northwestern two years ago and Kokomo last season. The Huskies were 4-6 last year with a first-round sectional exit to Guerin Catholic, but there is a lot of experience returning on both sides of the ball.
The Huskies should be strong at the skill positions with senior running back A.J. Flanagan (813 rushing yards, seven TDs; 20 catches, 181 yards) returning, along with senior quarterback Drew Woodruff (1,742 passing yards, 13 TDs).
The defense should be strong in front seven with junior linebackers Grayden Dahlstrom and Landon Hickman among the returnees. The Huskies are coming off back-to-back 4-win seasons after going 11-1 in 2023 and making a run to the sectional title game. Small has a lot of experience on his staff, including eight coaches who have coached at the Class 6A level.
The sectional no longer includes Guerin Catholic or Bishop Chatard – the two programs that have knocked the Huskies out the past six seasons.
Mt. Vernon
This might seem like a lot to ask after Mt. Vernon finished 0-10 last season. Coach Mike Kirschner returns after getting the Marauders’ program a jolt from 2018 to 2020, helping to set the stage for a run to the Class 4A state title in 2021.
Can Kirschner help to make it happen again? Mt. Vernon allowed 46.2 points per game last season, so a major overhaul will be needed on that side of the ball. There is some experienced there, including senior James Battee on the line and Zach Spalding and B.J. Johnson at linebacker.
The offense returns four starters on the line, along with Arizona State baseball recruit Mason Meyer (1,517 passing yards, 11 TDs; 420 rushing yards, six TDs) at quarterback and Johnson at receiver. Instead of Noblesville and Franklin, Mt. Vernon will open with Kokomo and Brebeuf Jesuit before getting into Hoosier Heritage Conference play.
Monrovia
The Bulldogs struggled to a 4-7 record last year after back-to-back 9-3 seasons. Coach Andy Olson’s team could be in line for a bounce back season with three top rushers returning in junior Ryder Bain (978 yards, 12 TDs), senior Coewen Stinson (957 yards, 10 TDs) and junior Gavin Wolsiffer (746 yards, six TDs). Monrovia averaged 261 rushing yards per game last season.
The defense struggled last season, especially late. The Bulldogs lost 57-56 to Heritage Christian in the second round of the sectional. The good news is that Monrovia returns plenty of experience on that side of the ball, including senior Gauge Tolan (123 tackles).
Monrovia has not had back-to-back losing seasons since 2019 and 2020.
Cardinal Ritter
Ritter has been competitive the past three seasons under coach Levar Johnson but have not been able to break through with a winning season since 2020. The Raiders were 3-7 last year with wins over Tech, Greenwood Christian and Covenant Christian.
Can Ritter get over the top with a winning season in 2026? Junior linebacker Bam McCullough (99 tackles, eight TFLs, 3 ½ sacks) is a Division I talent and will be joined at the linebacker spot by junior Ve’Sean Miles (81 tackles, 6 ½ TFLs). Ritter has three other returning starters on defense.
The offense has three returning starters on the offensive line (eight overall) and several talented skill position players, including junior running back Tavien Fox (659 rushing yards, nine TDs), who is moving back from quarterback. Senior Renaldo Thomas (534 rushing yards, three TDs) also has experience. Junior Jordyn Graham, a transfer from Crispus Attucks, is the likely starter at quarterback.
Greenwood
It is a new era for the Woodmen in the Hoosier Legends Conference, where 4A Greenwood will be one of the larger schools in the eight-team league. The Woodmen were 2-8 last year, a drop after going 6-6 two years ago and 4-8 last season.
Greenwood will have experience at the skill positions on offense, led by Lindenwood commit Benjamin Hommell at wide receiver (26 catches, 625 yards, eight TDs) and junior running back Leland Morton (596 rushing yards, three TDs). There is some experience up front on defense with Aidyn Wiley on the line and linebackers James Hurley, Damyan Hernandez and Gage Hall.
Areas of concern for Greenwood will be a young offensive line and secondary.
Scecina
The Crusaders were on this list last year and did make a two-win jump, improving from 3-7 to 5-5. Scecina lost in the first round of the sectional, 47-29, to Monrovia in Dan Harris’ second season as coach.
Scecina returns plenty talent and experience at the skill positions, including senior quarterback Bryce McDonald (1,990 passing yards, 21 TDs), senior receiver Tristan Brown (65 catches, 708 yards, six TDs) and senior running back Gavin Connel (578 yards, four TDs). The Crusaders have good size up front but not a lot of experience.
The defense will include some of the same names from the offense, along with Mannie Stevens and C.J. Heard on the line and Kaiden Dugan at inside linebacker.
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. Get IndyStar’s high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.
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